Tensions are rising in Brazil’s relations with Israel after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva compared Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust. Brazil recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv, while the Netanyahu government said President Lula was unwelcome in Israel until he retracted his controversial statements.
“What is happening in the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian people cannot be compared to any other moment in history. Specifically, it was when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” Lula told reporters during the 37th session of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
⚡ 🇧🇷 Brazilian President Lula da Silva:
«What Israel is doing in Gaza is equivalent to what Hitler did to the Jews.» pic.twitter.com/zehKnU6Kao
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 18, 2024
Earlier today, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Lula is an unwelcome person in Israel until he retracts. “We will not forget or forgive. This is a serious anti-Semitic attack. On my behalf and on behalf of the citizens of Israel, inform President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he retracts,” Katz told the Brazilian ambassador.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil announced that it will invite the Israeli ambassador Daniel Jonsin for consultations with the head of the Brazilian diplomacy in Rio de Janeiro, on the sidelines of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 member countries.
Source: RES-MPE
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