Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Photo:Chaim Goldberg/ Flash90
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of antisemitism on Saturday, following Borrell’s outrage over the deaths of UN staff in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, AFP reports.
“Josep Borrell is an antisemite and a detractor of Israel who constantly tries to push for resolutions and sanctions against Israel in the EU, only to be blocked by most member states,” Katz stated in an official communiqué.
Borrell criticized the killing of 18 people, including six staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in central Gaza. He condemned what he called a “disregard for the basic principles of international humanitarian law.”
The Israeli military stated that its airstrike targeted militants operating from the school and that efforts were made to reduce civilian risks. The army published a list of nine fighters killed in the Nusseirat attack, including three UNRWA employees.
“There is a difference between legitimate criticism and political disagreements, which are normal among friends, and the antisemitic and hate-filled campaign that Borrell is waging against Israel. This reminds us of the worst antisemites in history,” Katz added.
The airstrike was the deadliest for UNRWA in over eleven months of war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza and has been condemned internationally.
Since the war began, following Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, at least 220 UNRWA staff members have been killed.
