Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has called for a constructive dialogue but braced for criticism from some European countries as he arrived for talks in Brussels, Reuters reports.
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,” he said, adding that “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 today’s meeting showed a willingness to renew normal relations.
