By AMICHAI STEIN JUNE 18, 2026 21:06 Updated: JUNE 18, 2026 23:16 Tensions between Brussels and Jerusalem have escalated sharply over the past 24 hours. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he is severing all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas until she issues an apology to Israel, following reports that she referred to Israel as an “apartheid state.” Kallas responded that “dialogue is the foundation of diplomacy.”
“The European Union’s position has always been that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East,” EU Ambassador to Israel Michael Mann told The Jerusalem Post when asked about the reported “apartheid” remark.
When asked whether the comments signaled a shift in Brussels’ approach, Mann was clear.
“I’m not really going to comment on an unofficial quote from an anonymous official who said that this was said. I simply cannot comment on that,” Mann said, before reiterating the EU’s official position: “It is not the official policy of the European Union that Israel is an apartheid state. I want to make that absolutely clear.”
The EU ambassador’s office in Israel is rarely quiet, and Mann’s tenure, which began in September 2025, comes during one of the most turbulent periods in EU-Israel relations.
Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas speaks during a press conference after the informal EU defence ministers meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, August 29, 2025. (credit: Ritzau Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe/via REUTERS ) “The starting point is that Israel and the European Union are very close partners,” Mann stressed. “Historically, we have an extremely close relationship. Israel is deeply integrated with the EU. It participates in the Horizon research cooperation program. So, at its core, the relationship is very deep.”
EU-Israel relationship going through 'tough times'
However, he quickly acknowledged current strains.
“I would be lying if I said the relationship is not going through a more difficult period right now,” he admitted.
Some Israeli officials argue that the European Union is disproportionately focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while ignoring worse human rights violations elsewhere. Mann rejected that claim as “a complete misrepresentation.”
“There are problems all over the world, and it would be completely misleading to imagine that we make harsher comments about Israel than about any other country,” he said.
To illustrate his point, Mann cited Europe’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine .
“Look at the situation with Russia. Just this week, we adopted our 21st sanctions package against Russia.”
He added that perceptions of bias are often shaped by media framing.
“Through the lens of the Israeli media, it may appear that we are treating Israel with particular unfairness, but we base our policies on how we assess developments on the ground,” he said.
During the interview, Mann was also asked about a recent incident that raised questions in Israel about EU policy. The EU had criticized Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla and the detention of foreign nationals aboard. However, when footage later emerged in Spain showing police allegedly beating some of those activists, the EU did not publicly respond.
“There was a decision by the Israeli authorities to intercept the flotilla in international waters and to process the people quickly and deport them back to their home countries, and that was why there was criticism. There was also this incident in Spain, and no one is condoning that either,” Mann said. “So, let’s be accurate about these things.”
Europe concerned over West Bank settler violence
One issue that has united even pro-Israel EU member states in criticism of the current Israeli government is violence by extremist Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“We are very concerned,” Mann said. “There have been multiple cases of violent extremists entering Palestinian communities, setting fire to cars and property, uprooting trees, and stealing livestock.”
He expressed frustration at the difficulty in addressing the issue.
“For you, this should not be such a major problem,” Mann said. “Israel’s civilian authorities and police are highly efficient. It is somewhat difficult for us to understand why it is so hard to tackle this issue more effectively.”
The issue has also led some EU member states to consider sanctions against Israeli officials , including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Mann confirmed that discussions are ongoing, but remain legally and politically complex.
“The issue was discussed again by foreign ministers this week in Luxembourg,” he said. “There is currently no consensus, because such a decision requires unanimity among all 27 member states. At this stage, there is no agreement.”
When asked what could justify sanctions against a democratically elected minister in a friendly country, Mann pointed to core EU principles.
“If we were to impos…
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