Sa’ar heads to Brussels for EU meetings at same time as Syrian counterpart, amid tensions with bloc over Gaza war

By Nava Freiberg

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14 July 2025, 1:34 pm

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Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addresses a joint press conference with his Austrian and German counterpart in Vienna, on July 10, 2025. (ZOE-SOPHIE ZIMMERMANN / AFP)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar took off for Brussels this morning to attend meetings at the European Union, at the invitation of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, his office says.

During the visit, Sa’ar will take part in a ministerial meeting between the EU and its southern neighbors from the Middle East and North Africa, and will also hold separate talks with Kallas, Šuica, and other foreign ministers on the sidelines, according to Sa’ar’s office.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani is also expected to attend the ministerial gathering this evening, drawing attention amid quiet efforts between Israel and Syria to explore a potential security or even peace agreement, though a spokesperson for Sa’ar tells The Times of Israel that no personal meetings are planned between the two.

Kallas announced last Thursday that Israel and the EU agreed on increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, amid growing tensions between Jerusalem and Brussels over Israel’s military conduct during its war against Hamas. Also on Thursday, the EU’s External Action Service presented 10 potential options for measures against Israel, after concluding last month that there were “indications” Israel had violated the human rights clause under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the pact governing political and economic ties between Israel and its largest trading partner.

The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council has discussed the agreement repeatedly in recent months, with several member states, including Ireland and Spain, calling for a full suspension, while others have pushed for more limited action.

Most options would require unanimous approval from all 27 member states, a need widely considered to be out of reach. One European diplomat cautioned that no concrete decision is expected before the end of the summer, noting that Israel’s campaign against Iran last month prompted some EU states to reaffirm their support for Israel.

Agencies contributed to this report.