Brazil Recalls, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva recalled his country’s ambassador to Israel this week. This came after Israel said Lula would not be welcome in the nation until he apologized for comments he made over the weekend condemning Israel’s assault on Palestinians in Gaza, comparing it to some of Germany’s crimes perpetrated during the Holocaust.
Brazil Recalls Its Ambassador to Israel
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, characterized Lula’s remarks as a “very serious anti-Semitic attack.” The Brazilian president addressed the African Union meeting in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, on Sunday that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip and to the Palestinian people has never been seen before in history.” Actually, it has,” he added, referring to the Holocaust.
On Monday, Katz summoned the Brazilian ambassador to Israel’s National Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem for a scolding.
He went on to say: “The things that Lula said when he compared the righteous war of the state of Israel against Hamas, which murdered and massacred the Jews, and Hitler and the Nazis is shameful and unacceptable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Lula’s remarks “trivialized the Holocaust” and “crossed a red line.” Celso Amorim, a former foreign affairs minister and Lula’s special adviser, told reporters that Israel’s reaction was “absurd and only increases Israel’s isolation.”
He continued, “At the moment, it is Israel that is persona non grata.”
