The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas has responded after Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said he had "no choice but to sever all contact" with her over reports that she compared Israel to South Africa's former racist apartheid regime.
Kallas reportedly made the remark during a trip to Mexico in May, where she met with senior Mexican government officials as part of an EU push to further cooperation with Latin America.
"To date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement," Sa'ar posted on social media earlier on Thursday.
"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," he added.
In response, Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, said she valued "dialogue and engagement" with Israel and that the EU remained committed to a "constructive relationship," but she made no mention of the reported apartheid comment, which Sa'ar was quick to pick up on.
