Israel’s FM Accuses Top EU Diplomat of Antisemitism After Talks on Palestinian Statehood
Amir Tibon writes in Haaretz
Israel’s foreign minister accused EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell of being an “antisemite and Israel-hater” after he participated in discussions on a timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian State.
The Spanish prime minister hosted in Madrid on Friday the foreign ministers of several Arab and Muslim countries, as well as European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, for a series of discussions about the possibility of creating a timetable that would be acceptable to the international community, concluding with broader international recognition of a Palestinian state.
Posting on X on Friday, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz published an image of Borrell sitting on the lap of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with an octopus at their feet. He wrote: “Instead of pushing for the EU to join the sanctions on Iran, Borrell supports establishing a Palestinian terror state controlled by Iran and the axis of evil against Israel.”
On Saturday, he posted again on X, calling Borrell “an antisemite and Israel-hater who consistently tries to pass resolutions and sanctions against Israel in the EU.”
A senior European diplomat told Haaretz that Katz’s remarks were “a ridiculous attempt to gain media attention, with which we don’t have to cooperate.” According to him, the ideas raised and discussed at the Madrid meeting could be acceptable in nature to many European countries, and are therefore giving rise to concern in Israel.