When European Union foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan that Ankara was \u201ca key partner on security, migration and energy,\u201d praised its role protecting NATO\u2019s eastern flank, and voiced hope for closer relations between Brussels and Ankara, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar answered within hours.<\/p>\n
Kallas\u2019s message, he noted, said nothing about Turkey\u2019s deteriorating democratic record: mounting pressure on opposition politicians, journalists and peaceful protesters. \u201cA masterclass in hypocrisy,\u201d he called it.<\/p>\n
Whether Sa\u2019ar\u2019s criticism was fair is not the central question. The exchange became the latest episode in a relationship between Jerusalem and Brussels that has grown steadily more strained. But focusing on the question of double standards risks missing something more consequential, something that has drawn almost no attention: Israel is still engaging an outdated image of Europe.<\/p>\n
Just days earlier, the European Union published the spring 2026 Standard Eurobarometer. The findings deserved more notice than another spat on social media. A majority of Europeans, 51%, now trust the European Union, three points higher than in the autumn 2025 survey. Some 73% see it as a place of stability in a troubled world, and 81% support a common defense and security policy among member states.<\/p>\n
The significance of these findings extends well beyond public opinion. Trust is also a source of political legitimacy. Institutions that enjoy growing public confidence acquire greater authority to act, both internally and internationally. For Israel, this means that the European Union is not merely a forum for familiar diplomatic arguments; it is becoming a more legitimate and more consequential actor.<\/p>\n
\nYou won\u2019t find a single word here about:<\/p>\n
The brutal human rights violations in Turkey, which were on display again just weeks ago when a Turkish court removed the newly elected leader of the main opposition party from office; peaceful protesters being met with force and mass\u2026 t.co\/2E3NGui2v3<\/a><\/p>\n
— Gideon Sa'ar | \u05d2\u05d3\u05e2\u05d5\u05df \u05e1\u05e2\u05e8 (@gidonsaar) July 1, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n