By NewsBlogger One sentence summary – Brazil and Israel are in a diplomatic row after President Lula criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, leading to tensions and mutual diplomatic actions between the two countries.
At a glance
- Brazil and Israel are in a diplomatic row over President Lula’s comments on Gaza.
- President Lula initially condemned Hamas but later criticized Israel’s response.
- Israel’s Foreign Minister called Lula’s comments “promiscuous and delusional.”
- Tensions escalated with Israel declaring Lula “persona non grata” and Brazil recalling its ambassador.
- Historical ties between Brazil and Israel have been strained by recent events and differing stances on Gaza.
The details
Brazil and Israel are currently embroiled in a diplomatic row following comments made by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva regarding the conflict in Gaza.
President Lula’s comparison of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust has sparked outrage from Israeli officials.
The controversy began when President Lula, a prominent voice for the Global South and the current rotating president of the G20, initially condemned the Hamas-led attack on October 7 as a “terrorist” act.
Shift in Stance
However, he has since shifted his stance and become vocally critical of Israel’s response to the conflict in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, responded to Lula’s comments by calling them “promiscuous and delusional.” In turn, Brazil’s Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, criticized Katz’s remarks as outrageous and unacceptable.
Escalation of Tensions
The situation further deteriorated when Katz declared Lula “persona non grata” in Israel.
In retaliation, Brazil recalled its ambassador to Israel and summoned the Israeli ambassador to Brazil for a meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
Additionally, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv.
Israel also demanded that Brasilia retract the statements that they deemed “anti-Semitic.”
The tensions between Brazil and Israel have historical underpinnings, with Brazil playing a significant role in the creation of Israel and being one of the first countries to recognize the state in 1949. However, recent events have strained the relationship, with Brazil backing resolutions for a ceasefire in Gaza at the UN Security Council and calling for the creation of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.
It is worth noting that relations between Brazil and Israel had improved under former President Jair Bolsonaro, who considered moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
However, past incidents, such as Brazil’s criticism of Israel’s actions against Palestinians in 2014 and Israel’s taunting of Brazil over a World Cup defeat, have also contributed to the current tensions.
The situation remains fluid, with both countries standing firm in their positions.
The international community will be closely monitoring the developments between Brazil and Israel as they navigate this delicate diplomatic crisis.
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| aljazeera.com |
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| – Colombia and Bolivia express solidarity with Brazil after President Lula’s comments on Gaza – Gustavo Petro and Luis Arce support Lula’s statements on genocide in Gaza – Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz calls Lula’s comments “promiscuous, delusional” – Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira criticizes Katz’s comments as outrageous and unacceptable – Katz declares Lula “persona non grata” in Israel – Brazilian ambassador summoned to Yad Vashem |
| – Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem – Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons Israeli ambassador to Brazil and recalls Brazilian ambassador from Tel Aviv – Lula is a prominent voice for the Global South and holds the rotating presidency of the G20 – Lula initially called Hamas-led attack on October 7 a “terrorist” act – Lula has become critical of Israel’s response to the situation in Gaza – Brazil to host G20 foreign ministers’ meeting with top diplomats in Rio de Janeiro |
| aljazeera.com |
|---|
| – Israel says Brazilian president is not welcome in the country after comparing Israel’s war on Gaza to the Holocaust – Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Israel – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva compared Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust – Lula’s comments were made during a press conference on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa – During World War II, the Nazis systematically killed six million Jewish people – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Lula’s comments as “disgraceful and grave” – Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced that Lula is not welcome in Israel until he takes back his comments – Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would summon Israel’s ambassador to Brazil for a meeting in Rio de Janeiro – Lula also faced backlash at home over his statements, with the Brazil-Israel Institute calling them “vulgar” and warning they risk “fuelling anti-Semitism” – Lula condemned the Hamas-led October 7 attacks on southern Israel as a “terrorist” act but has since grown vocally critical of Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza |
| aljazeera.com |
|---|
| – Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Israel and said it would not retract statements that the Israeli government calls “anti-Semitic” – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva compared Israel’s war on Gaza to the Holocaust, sparking outrage from Israel – Israel declared Lula persona non grata and demanded that Brasilia retract the statements – Brazil summoned the Israeli ambassador in Brasilia for a dressing-down and recalled its envoy to Tel Aviv – Brazil denounced the attacks on Israel by Hamas but condemned Israel’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza – Brazil has backed every resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at the UN Security Council – Brazil has called for a Palestinian state to be created on the borders that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War – Brazil played a significant role in the creation of Israel and was one of the first countries to recognize Israel in 1949 – Brazil has the second largest Jewish community in Latin America with over 100,000 Jewish people – Relations between Brazil and Israel improved under former President Jair Bolsonaro – Bolsonaro considered moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem – In 2014, Brazil criticized Israel’s violence against Palestinians and recalled its ambassador – Israel taunted Brazil over its 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals – Brazil voted for a UN Human Rights Council investigation into Israeli human rights violations in 2014 – Israel claimed to have helped Brazil bust a Hezbollah ring planning attacks in the country |
