In the diplomatic dispute over Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's comparison of Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip with the Holocaust, his Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira has accused his Israeli colleague Israel Katz of dishonesty. Katz's statements were “unacceptable in nature and a lie” as well as “outrageous,” explained Vieira.
Lula accused Israel of a “genocide” in the Gaza Strip regarding the war against the radical Islamic Hamas on Sunday at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa. Then Lula, 78, added: “What is happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza has never happened before in history. Yes, that already happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”
Israel declares Lula persona non grata
Israel then summoned the Brazilian ambassador Frederico Meyer to a meeting with Foreign Minister Katz at the Jad Vashem Holocaust memorial and declared Lula persona non grata. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lula had “crossed a red line.”
In return, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador Daniel Zonshinem and brought Meyer back to Brazil for consultations.
Lula received support from two South American heads of state on Tuesday. Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on the online service X, formerly Twitter: “A genocide is taking place in Gaza.” Lula “only told the truth and the truth must be defended.” Bolivian President Luis Arce also said on X that Lula had “told the truth about the genocide.”
USA contradicts Lula's statements
The United States, Israel's biggest supporter, has contradicted Lula's statements. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who landed in Brazil on Wednesday for the meeting of G20 foreign ministers, is also scheduled to meet with Lula during his visit.
On October 7th, fighters from Hamas, which the EU and the USA classify as a terrorist organization, entered Israel and committed atrocities there, mainly against civilians. According to Israeli information, around 1,160 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage to the Gaza Strip.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has stated that its goal is to destroy Hamas. According to Hamas figures that cannot be independently verified, more than 29,100 people were killed in the massive military operation in the Gaza Strip.
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