“We voted with the Americans and I do believe that Russia is the aggressor,” he said. “We haven’t changed our mind, but we thought it is right to give a chance to the initiative of America to try to end this war and solve it by peaceful means.”
Israel’s U.N. vote put the country at odds with most European nations just as Sa’ar was arriving in Brussels for the first high-level dialogue between the Israeli government and European officials in Brussels since 2022.
EU countries led by Ireland, Spain and Belgium have been fiercely critical of Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, leading to a diplomatic crisis with Dublin when Israel shuttered its embassy there amid accusations of anti-semitism. Speaking after the meeting, Sa’ar was bullish about the prospect of warmer ties between Israel and the EU, pointing to what he said was a “constructive” and “honest” dialogue led by top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, which he contrasted with what he called the “hostile, one-sided” approach of her predecessor Josep Borrell.
But things remain strained with Ireland. Asked if he’d spoken to Ireland’s representative during the EU-Israel Association Council, Sa’ar said he had “shaken his hand,” adding that Israel would rather direct resources toward embassies in countries with better prospects for bilateral ties — namely Moldova.
Kallas was due to visit Israel at the end of March, Sa’ar said, as the EU strives to normalize relations with Syria following the collapse of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime amid a push to send refugees back to their home countries.
Sa’ar warned against moving too quickly as the security situation could “very quickly” deteriorate into “riots” and bloodshed. “Of course, Europe is happy and we are happy that Assad is gone,” he said. But, he added, “the approach of the current government in Damascus towards the Alawites is very negative as it is a revenge feeling. And there is also … extrajudicial killings in Syria.”
An EU spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kallas’s trip.