Israel on Thursday announced that it was severing all contact with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accusing her of displaying “blatant unfairness” towards the Jewish state and alleging that she had compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.The move marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and the European Union’s top diplomat amid growing international criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and widening differences between Jerusalem and several European governments over the conflict.In a strongly worded statement, Sa’ar said Kallas had been acting “obsessively” against Israel for some time and referred to reports that during a recent visit to Mexico she had likened Israel to the racist apartheid regime that once existed in South Africa.The European Union remains a vocal critic of Israel’s West Bank settlement expansion, categorizing the outposts and housing units as a violation of international law“I am grateful to the many European elected representatives who condemned this grave statement. However, to date, no denial, clarification or response has been issued by her regarding this severe statement,” Sa’ar said.Declaring that he had “no choice”, the Israeli Foreign Minister said he was cutting off all contact with Kallas until she withdrew what he described as a “blood libel” directed against Israel.“Therefore, as the Foreign Minister of the state of Israel, I have no choice but to sever all contact with Kallas until she retracts the blood libel she directed at the world’s only Jewish state, which is also the only democracy in Middle East (West Asia),” he said.The European Union remains a vocal critic of Israel’s West Bank settlement expansion, categorising the outposts and housing units as a violation of international law.