Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira accused the Israeli government on Tuesday of “lying” about recent public comments in which far-left President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva compared Israel’s self-defense operations against Hamas to the Holocaust.
Lula compared Israel’s actions against Hamas to those of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler in remarks given on Sunday during a press conference following his participation at the 37 African Union Summit in Addis Ababa.
“What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has no parallel in other historical moments. In fact, it did exist when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” Lula said.
Lula’s comments immediately prompted condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, leading to ongoing diplomatic tensions between both countries and Israel declaring Lula persona non grata on Monday. Israel banned Lula from entering Israel until he issues a formal apology and retracts his statements. Lula responded to his ban by recalling Brazilian Ambassador to Israel Frederico Meyer.
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz addressed Lula on social media on Wednesday in a public letter written in Portuguese in which he stated that “millions of Jews around the world are waiting” for his apology.
“How dare you compare Israel to Hitler?” Katz asked Lula.
He continued:
Do I need to remind you what Hitler did? He drove millions of people into ghettos, stole their property, used them as forced laborers and then, with endless brutality, began to systematically murder them. First with gunfire, then with gas. An industry of extermination of Jews, in an orderly and cruel way.
Israel embarked on a defensive war against the new Nazis who murdered any Jew they saw in front of them. It didn’t matter to them if they were old, babies or disabled. They murdered a girl in a wheelchair. They kidnapped babies. If we hadn’t had an army, they would have murdered tens of thousands more.
What a disgrace. Your comparison is promiscuous, delusional. Shame on Brazil and a spit in the face of Brazilian Jews.
It’s not too late to learn history and apologize. Until then — you will remain persona non grata in Israel!
Brazilian Foreign Minister Vieira, in remarks given to Reuters and Bloomberg on Tuesday evening on the sidelines of an upcoming G20 meeting of foreign ministers, lashed out at the Israeli government and Foreign Minister Katz for his public letter addressing Lula. Vieira claimed Israel’s response to Lula’s comments as “unacceptable” and “untruthful.”
“For a foreign ministry to address a head of state from a friendly country in this way is unusual and revolting,” Vieira told reporters.
“The words from Netanyahu’s government are unacceptable in their form, and deceiving in their content,” he continued. “They’re putting up a smoke screen to hide the real problem which is the ongoing massacre in Gaza.”
With regards to Katz’s public request for an apology, Vieira said that there is no reason for the Brazilian President to apologize.
“The president cannot retract or deny the massacre that’s happening in Gaza,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”
Lula has received the public support of Colombia’s far-left President Gustavo Petro and Bolivia’s socialist President Luis Arce. Both leftist presidents have previously condemned Israel for its self-defense operations against Hamas following the unprecedented October 7 terrorist attack.
Petro, who last year accused Israel of turning Gaza into Auschwitz and threatened to have Colombia cut all ties with Israel, offered his “full solidarity” to Lula on social media, asserting that the Brazilian president has “only spoken the truth,” with regards to Gaza.
Expreso mi solidaridad integral al presidente Lula del Brasil. En Gaza hay un genocidio y se asesina cobardemente a miles de niños, mujeres y ancianos civiles.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) February 20, 2024
Lula solo ha dicho la verdad y la verdad se defiende o la barbarie nos aniquilará.
Toda la región debe unirse para que…
“I express my full solidarity to President Lula of Brazil. In Gaza there is genocide and thousands of children, women and elderly civilians are cowardly murdered,” Petro’s message read. “Lula has only spoken the truth and the truth must be defended or barbarism will annihilate us.”
“The whole region must unite to stop the violence in Palestine immediately,” he continued. “The judgment of the International Court of Justice on Israel must generate application and consequences in the diplomatic relations of all the countries of the world.”
Arce, who had Bolivia cut all ties with Israel in November, also pledged his support to Lula on Tuesday afternoon through social media.
Desde el Estado Plurinacional de #Bolivia expresamos toda nuestra solidaridad y apoyo al hermano presidente de #Brasil, @LulaOficial, declarado "persona no grata" en #Israel por decir la verdad sobre el genocidio que se comete contra el valiente pueblo palestino. La historia no… pic.twitter.com/VAERz9dwRl
— Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia) February 20, 2024
“From the Plurinational State of #Bolivia we express all our solidarity and support to the brother president of Brazil, Lula, declared ‘persona non grata’ in Israel for speaking the truth about the genocide committed against the brave Palestinian people,” Arce wrote. “History will not forgive those who are indifferent to this barbarism.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
