Israeli Foreign Minister. Photo: Collected

JERUSALEM, June 18, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israel's foreign minister said Thursday that he was severing all contact with the European Union's top diplomat over reported remarks in which she allegedly compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and the EU have come under heavy strain since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023, with violence by Israeli settlers towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank another point of contention.

On Thursday, Israel's Gideon Saar accused EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of "acting obsessively and with blatant unfairness" towards his country.

"Recently, it was published that during her visit to Mexico, she compared Israel to the racist apartheid regime that existed in South Africa," Saar wrote on X.

"However, to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement," he continued.

"Therefore, as the foreign minister of the State of Israel, I have no choice but to sever all contact with Ms Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed at the world's only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in the Middle East."

According to European news outlet Euractiv, Kallas made the remarks during a closed-door meeting with Mexican government officials during a visit last month.

Kallas responded to Saar's comments on Thursday, but declined to address the alleged "apartheid" remarks.

"I value our dialogue and engagement, and I'm open to continue in that spirit, respectfully and constructively," Kallas wrote on X.

"The EU is always committed to a constructive relationship with Israel. To bring peace to the Middle East, the Two-State Solution remains the only viable path," she added.

"The EU has condemned the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank that make it increasingly difficult to get to that goal. That is the EU position."

- 'Vile and defamatory' -

Saar replied that his decision "will remain unchanged" until Kallas clarified whether she made the "apartheid" remarks.

"The matter is simple: if you did indeed make these vile and defamatory statements, stand behind them," he said in a new post on X.

"If you did not make them, deny it."

The current tensions could complicate cooperation on certain sensitive issues.

Diplomatic and security sources have told AFP that Israel was due to renew the authorisation for the deployment of the EU's border assistance mission (EUBAM) at the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt around June 20.

"EUBAM is one of the only things that has been working since the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, and... this is not the time to anger the Israelis," said a European security source working in the region.

Earlier this week, Kallas said the EU would explore options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements following calls from several member countries.

Kallas also noted that a number of EU countries had proposed sanctions against far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, although no consensus has yet emerged.

Violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has increased since the start of the Gaza war. Rights groups report near-daily attacks on Palestinians and their property.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and settlement expansion has been a policy under successive Israeli governments, though it has accelerated significantly under the current coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.