What prompted Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to sever all contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, what did Kallas reportedly say in closed-door meetings in Mexico City that Sa'ar condemned as a "blood libel," and how does this diplomatic rupture fit into the broa

What Kallas reportedly said in Mexico City

The remarks were first reported by Euractiv on June 12, 2026, and later confirmed by multiple outlets . According to the reports:

• During closed-door high-level talks in Mexico City on May 20–22, 2026, Kallas told Mexican government officials that Israel's conduct toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank amounted to apartheid .
• She reportedly drew directly on observations from a visit she made to southern Israel and the West Bank .
• Some EU diplomats privately criticized the remarks as a serious diplomatic misstep that broke with the EU's official policy line .

Sa'ar condemned the alleged comparison as a "blood libel" —a term historically used to describe false, malicious accusations against Jews—and said it was an unacceptable distortion of Israel's actions .

Broader pattern of escalating EU-Israel tensions

This rupture is the latest flashpoint in a steady deterioration of EU-Israel relations over the past year, driven by several converging issues:

• Sanctions on Israeli ministers. The EU has been deeply divided over sanctions targeting far-right Israeli officials. In September 2025, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed sanctions against "extremist ministers and violent settlers" . However, EU member states failed to reach consensus as recently as June 15, 2026, on imposing sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, with Kallas herself acknowledging that "no consensus" had been reached .

• Stalled trade measures. In October 2025, the European Commission formally proposed suspending preferential tariff treatment on more than one-third of Israeli goods exported to the EU under the Association Agreement . But the measure has stalled: member states have not voted to adopt it, and the EU faced criticism in October 2025 for pausing the sanctions push amid U.S. ceasefire efforts .

• Israel's severance of ties with UN agencies. In January 2026, Israel announced it was cutting ties with seven UN agencies and related international bodies, accusing them of anti-Israel bias . This followed Israel's 2024–2025 legislation effectively banning UNRWA operations on its territory . In January 2026, Israel also severed ties with the UN Alliance of Civilizations, UN Energy, and the Global Forum on Migration and Development, among others .

• A pattern of escalating rhetoric and isolation. Sa'ar's move against Kallas mirrors Israel's broader trend of severing diplomatic channels with international bodies and officials it perceives as hostile. Kallas had previously maintained a dual posture—condemning Hamas and supporting Israel's right to self-defense while also criticizing Israel's conduct in Gaza . The apartheid remark, however, crossed a line for Sa'ar, who framed the decision as a necessary response to what he sees as Kallas's loss of impartiality .