Three MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group have formally asked the EU's top diplomat to clarify and retract reported comments comparing Israel's treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa. In a priority written question submitted on 22 June 2026, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Cristian Terhes and Rihards Kols demand that Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative Kaja Kallas confirm whether she made the comparison during closed-door talks in Mexico between 20 and 22 May, and if so, whether this represents the official EU position.
The question cites a 12 June Euractiv report alleging Kallas made the remarks, and notes that on 18 June Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he had 'no choice but to sever all contact' over the statements. The MEPs ask whether Kallas is aware that her remarks 'put unnecessary pressure on the EU's relations with Israel' and whether she is prepared to retract and apologise.
The parliamentary question, submitted under Rule 144, is a concrete ask for the High Representative to clarify her position. The Commission typically has around six weeks to reply; the answer will signal whether the EU's executive backs or distances itself from the reported remarks. The episode highlights a cleavage between the EU's stated commitment to a rules-based international order and its diplomatic relations with a key Middle Eastern partner, with potential impacts on EU-Israel cooperation, EU credibility in the region, and internal coherence among member states.
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