![European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Suica (R) greet Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar (C) on the sidelines of the EU's foreign affairs council at the EU headquarters in Brussels on February 24, 2025. [JOHN THYS / AFP / Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/GettyImages-2201150841.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for a constructive dialogue but braced himself for criticism from some European countries as he arrived for talks in Brussels on Monday, Reuters has reported.
The Israeli minister is meeting senior European officials, reviving a dialogue with the European Union as the bloc considers a role in the reconstruction of Gaza following last month’s fragile ceasefire deal.
“I’m looking for a constructive dialogue, an open and honest one, and I believe that this is what it will be,” Saar told reporters on arrival. “We know how to face criticism. It’s okay as long as criticism is not connected to delegitimisation, demonisation or double standards… but we are ready to discuss everything with an open mind.”
Saar will co-chair a meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the first such session since 2022. Talks are set to focus on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israeli-Palestinian relations and changing regional dynamics.
The Israeli foreign minister said that within the EU “there are very friendly countries, there are less-friendly countries,” but that Monday’s meeting showed a willingness to renew normal relations.
The Hamas cross-border incursion on 7 October, 2023, and Israel’s genocidal response, exposed sharp divisions within the EU. While all members condemned the Hamas incursion, some staunchly defended Israel’s war in Gaza as others condemned Israel’s military campaign and its toll on Palestinian civilians.
In February 2024, the leaders of Spain and Ireland sent a letter to the European Commission asking for a review of whether Israel was complying with its human rights obligations under the 2000 EU-Israel Association Agreement, which provides the basis for political and economic cooperation between the two sides.
However, ahead of Monday’s meeting, the bloc’s 27 member-countries negotiated a compromise position that praises areas of cooperation with Israel while also raising concerns.
At the meeting, the EU will emphasise both Europe’s commitment to Israel’s security and its view that “displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza,” according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump shocked Arab nations and Western allies by proposing that the United States should “take over” Gaza and permanently displace its Palestinian inhabitants in order to create a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The Israeli offensive has killed at least 48,300 Palestinians and displaced 90 per cent of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents.
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