The nomination of former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the European Union's top diplomat reverberated far and wide, and across the Mediterranean, Israel heaved a sigh of relief.
Israeli newspapers highlighted the country's exasperation toward her predecessor, Josep Borrell, who was described as an "outspoken critic," and hailed Kallas as an improvement from an Israeli perspective.
Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute, the Brussels-based office of the American Jewish Committee, said that Israelis felt Borrell was unfair in his criticism of their country.
"Israelis see him as anti-Israel and thus unsuitable to play a mediating role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
He told DW that, in his estimation, "EU-Israel relations can only improve under the new leadership."
Borrell's criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack put him at odds with Israel and reflected a split in the EU on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Austria, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic are believed to be more pro-Israel, while Ireland, Belgium and Spain, Borrell's homeland, are more critical.
Lukas Mandl, an Austrian member of European Parliament (MEP) part of the European People's Party parliamentary group, told DW that he believed Borrell was "one-sided and ideological" about Israel. He hoped that Kallas "will be better than her predecessor."
According to EU lawmakers,........