INTERVIEW: Sa’ar warns EU against anti-Israeli ‘obsessive approach’

Earlier this week, the EU agreed on sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where the bloc has opposed Israel’s settlement policy in the contested territory.

Sa’ar warned that certain European governments, backing broader trade sanctions against Israel, are determined to drive a wedge between the EU and Jerusalem.

“There is a non-stop attempt by a group of governments hostile to Israel, such as Spain, Ireland and others, to drag the EU – which includes countries friendly towards Israel, such as Germany and others – towards a hostile and obsessive approach regarding Israel,” he said.

“As such, hostile governments bring about division in the EU policy, further it from consensus, and try to ruin its relations with Israel.”

He called on the EU to take a balanced approach to Israel and Palestinians based on consensus and unanimity between the bloc’s 27 member countries. “Unfortunately, there are certain governments pushing the EU in the opposite direction,” he said.

Sa’ar praised his country’s strategic alliance with Germany pointing out that Israel had proven itself a reliable partner by delivering the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic-missile system even while it was at war.

“The partnership between Israel and Germany is an investment in our mutual future,” he said, highlighting the potential for further cooperation in the defence sector.

“The ability to combine Israel’s technology and combat experience with Germany’s industrial depth, has the potential to allow for top scale defence cooperation.”

Regarding US-Israeli military action against the Iranian regime, Sa’ar warned the EU against passivity. “Some Europeans said, ‘It’s not our war,’ but I think they are wrong,” he said, referring to the United Arab Emirates, which had been attacked by Iran without provocation.

“The Iranian regime has had Europe in its sights for a long time,” Sa’ar added. “Despite their lies, Iran has developed missiles capable of reaching Europe, as we saw in the attack on the Diego Garcia base.”

The regime was also obstructing European shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, he said. “It maintains a constant threat through its terrorist proxies and criminal gangs it has recruited throughout the continent. If this is how it behaves now, imagine what it would do under a nuclear umbrella?”, he said.

“The Iranian regime is a danger to global security and world order. Therefore, the outcome of this war will have far-reaching consequences accordingly.”

(bw, cs)