The Brazilian president’s statements during today’s celebration of the 37th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), generated anger and the rapid response of Israel’s diplomacy.
Israel responded to Lula’s statements about the war in Gaza
At the AU Summit, Lula criticized the war that Israel has waged in Gaza since last October 7: “What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it is a genocide”The president of Brazil declared this Sunday to the press, and said that something similar to “a war between a very prepared army and women and children” had not happened before in history. except “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”
The Israeli government will now act in response to the South American president’s comments. “The Brazilian president’s comments are shameful and severe,” the Israeli Foreign Minister said today on social network X, who stressed that “no one will harm Israel’s right to defend itself.”
“I have ordered the Ministry staff to summon the Brazilian ambassador for a protest call” (on Monday), he detailed. The Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallantalso criticized Lula in X for supporting, as he said, “a genocidal terrorist organization, Hamas, and in doing so, embarrassing its people.”
For his part, in a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Lula’s words as “shameful and serious” and argued that they seek to “trivialize the Holocaust” and “Israel’s right to defend itself.”
“Comparing Israel to the Nazi Holocaust and Hitler is crossing a red line. “Israel fights for its defense and to ensure its future until complete victory and does so in compliance with international law,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
Lula Da Silva accused Israel of “genocide” against the Palestinians
This Sunday’s statements are the most forceful issued so far on the conflict over Lulaan important representative of the countries of the global south and who holds the rotating presidency of the G20.
The Brazilian president traveled this week to Egypt and Ethiopia to deepen political and economic rapprochement of his country with the African continent, to which he already has cultural and historical ties. This is his third trip to Africa since he returned to power in January 2023, succeeding Jair Bolsonaro.
war-gaza-israel.jpg
Before the annual assembly of the African Union, a summit of heads of state from the continent’s 55 countries, Lula once again defended the existence of a Palestinian State.
“The solution to this crisis will only be lasting if we move quickly towards the creation of a free and sovereign Palestinian state,” he stressed on Saturday.
“A Palestinian State that is recognized as a member of the United States. Of a strengthened UN and with a more representative Security Council, without countries with veto power and with permanent members from Africa and Latin America,” he noted.
“There will be no military solution to this conflict. “The time has come for politics and diplomacy.”he insisted. Lulawho also met on Saturday with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, stated that Brazil will increase its contribution to the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA).
Source: Ambito
