{"id":166827,"date":"2026-06-18T19:29:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/166827\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T19:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:29:25","slug":"eu-ambassador-to-jerusalem-israel-not-considered-an-apartheid-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/166827\/","title":{"rendered":"EU ambassador to Jerusalem: Israel not considered an apartheid state"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tensions between Brussels and Jerusalem have escalated sharply over the past 24 hours.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar announced that he is severing all contact with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas<\/a> until she issues an apology to Israel, following reports that she referred to Israel as an \u201capartheid state.\u201d Kallas responded that \u201cdialogue is the foundation of diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe European Union\u2019s position has always been that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to achieving lasting peace in the Middle East,\u201d EU Ambassador to Israel Michael Mann told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday when asked about the reported \u201capartheid\u201d remark.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the comments signaled a shift in Brussels\u2019 approach, Mann was clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 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,\u201d Mann said, before reiterating the EU\u2019s official position: \u201cIt is not the official policy of the European Union<\/a> that Israel is an apartheid state. I want to make that absolutely clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

The EU ambassador\u2019s office in Israel is rarely quiet, and Mann\u2019s tenure, which began in September 2025, comes during one of the most turbulent periods in EU-Israel relations.<\/p>\n

\"Vice-PresidentVice-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 )<\/p>\n

\u201cThe starting point is that Israel and the European Union are very close partners,\u201d Mann stressed. \u201cHistorically, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

EU-Israel relationship going through ‘tough times’<\/p>\n

However, he quickly acknowledged current strains.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would be lying if I said the relationship is not going through a more difficult period right now,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

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 \u201ca complete misrepresentation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

To illustrate his point, Mann cited Europe\u2019s response to Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the situation with Russia. Just this week, we adopted our 21st sanctions package against Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that perceptions of bias are often shaped by media framing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

During the interview, Mann was also asked about a recent incident that raised questions in Israel about EU policy. The EU criticized Israel\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere 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,\u201d Mann said. \u201cSo, let\u2019s be accurate about these things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Europe concerned over West Bank settler violence\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very concerned,\u201d Mann said. \u201cThere have been multiple cases of violent extremists entering Palestinian communities, setting fire to cars and property, uprooting trees, and stealing livestock.\u201d<\/p>\n

He expressed frustration at the difficulty in addressing the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor you, this should not be such a major problem,\u201d Mann said. \u201cIsrael\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The issue has also led some EU member states to consider sanctions against Israeli officials<\/a>, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.<\/p>\n

Mann confirmed that discussions are ongoing but remain legally and politically complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue was discussed again by foreign ministers this week in Luxembourg,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is currently no consensus, because such a decision requires unanimity among all 27 member states. At this stage, there is no agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what could justify sanctions against a democratically elected minister in a friendly country, Mann pointed to core EU principles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were to impose sanctions on individuals, it would be because of actions that we believe violate basic human rights and democratic principles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also referenced Ben-Gvir\u2019s conduct during a recent flotilla incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we saw from Minister Ben-Gvir\u2014going to be photographed with those detained from the flotilla, and in a video he released one individual appeared to be beaten\u2014was, for many people in Europe, unacceptable. He was clearly there to provoke people, and that is why there was criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Economically, the EU remains Israel\u2019s largest trading partner, a fact Mann highlighted as evidence of deep interdependence.<\/p>\n

Still, political tensions are spilling into trade discussions. Several EU member states have proposed tariffs on\u2014or even bans of\u2014products originating from Jewish settlements in the West Bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome member states have recently put forward proposals to impose tariffs on such products or prohibit them altogether,\u201d Mann said. \u201cThis is currently being discussed in Brussels.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cautioned that it is too early to know what will happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this stage, it is impossible to say whether a concrete proposal will be put forward, or how member states would respond and whether they would vote in favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the war in Gaza, Mann said conditions have improved, but concerns remain over its conduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a period when humanitarian aid deliveries were completely blocked from entering Gaza. That was problematic for us. We felt that the number of civilian casualties toward the later stages of the war was unnecessarily high.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also pointed to political rhetoric in Israel as a complicating factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does not help that there is quite a lot of rather heated rhetoric coming from Israeli authorities at times,\u201d he said. \u201cI understand that this is an election period, but I think it would be helpful if the rhetoric could be toned down so that we can have a somewhat calmer discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite ongoing disputes, Mann emphasized a pragmatic outlook for EU-Israel relations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is clear that we need Israel, and Israel needs us,\u201d Mann concluded. \u201cWe have a very deep historical relationship. We need each other. There are so many areas in which we can benefit from one another. There is so much potential and so many opportunities.\u201d
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