Education Minister Gideon Saar spoke out against the EU's condemnation of Israel's decision to build 800 housing units in Gilo, saying, "It's strange that while the Middle East is burning, as tens of thousands of civilians are being killed in Syria, and Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons, the thing that most bothers the EU is building in Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood." He continues, "These kind of announcements reveal the lack of relevance of the European Union in regards to what is happening in the Middle East."