Newsletter: A Commissioner's secret trip to Israel

A Brussels-focused newsletter reports on a senior EU official’s visit to Jerusalem and the lack of clear information about the itinerary. It says European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica is expected to deliver a press statement with Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, on Monday at 3:15 p.m. local time, with details “under wraps” because the meeting is not shown on her calendar and her cabinet did not respond. The newsletter also notes that outreach to Israel’s foreign ministry produced no response by the time it was sent. It adds that the gathering could relate to tensions between Sa’ar and EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, following Kallas’ reported comparison of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid, after which Sa’ar cut diplomatic channels. The brief also addresses UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer facing a potential Labour leadership challenge, with expectations of a possible resignation timing announcement.