Israel says Brazilian president is not welcome in the country after comparing Israel’s war on Gaza to the Holocaust.
Brazil recalled its ambassador to Israel and Israel said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was not welcome in the country, due to a diplomatic disagreement after Lula compared the Israeli military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust.
“What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has not happened at any other time in history. In fact, this happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” Lula said on Sunday.
During World War II, the Nazis systematically killed six million Jews.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Lula’s comments “shameful and serious.”
On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that Lula was not welcome in the Middle Eastern country until he reversed his comments.
“We will neither forget nor forgive. This is a serious anti-Semitic attack. On my behalf and on behalf of the citizens of Israel, tell President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he takes it back,” Katz told the Brazilian ambassador, according to a statement from the Katz’s office.
In response, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced that it would summon Israel’s ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Zonshine, for a meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
“He (Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira) also recalled Brazil’s ambassador to Tel Aviv, Frederico Meyer, for consultations. He will leave tomorrow for Brazil,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added on Monday.
Meanwhile, Lula, 78, also faced backlash at home following his statements on Sunday, made during a press conference on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.
The Brazil-Israel Institute called his comments “vulgar” and warned they risked “fueling anti-Semitism.”
Lula condemned Hamas’ October 7 attacks on southern Israel as a “terrorist” act on the same day they occurred, and he has since strongly criticized Israel’s military retaliation campaign in Gaza.
