“Trivialization of the Holocaust.” Lula condemns the Israeli operation in Gaza as a “genocide” and compares the offensive with the extermination of Hitler. He criticized Israel’s advances in the Gaza Strip for being “asymmetrical” and Netanyahu replied that his statements imply a “trivialization of the Holocaust.” ”; He asked not to hold the Kremlin responsible for the death of Alexei Navalny

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia.- The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday accused Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and compared its actions to Adolf Hitler’s campaign to exterminate the Jews. “What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it is a genocide,” he declared to the press in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he participated as a guest at the annual summit of the African Union.

The left-wing president of the main Latin American power declared that the conflict “is not a war of soldiers against soldiers,” but rather it is ”a war between a highly prepared army against women and children”, he claimed. ”What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has not happened at any other time in history. In reality, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” he added.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa (Michele Spatari / AFP)MICHELE SPATARI – AFP

In response, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahudescribed Lula’s comments as “shameful and serious,” stating that they constitute a “trivialization of the Holocaust”, and announced that his government summoned the Brazilian ambassador to Israel. ”The comparison between Israel and the Holocaust of the Nazis and Hitler represents crossing a red line”the president said in a statement, in which he insisted that Israel is “fighting to defend themselves”.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said it would summon the Brazilian ambassador for a reprimand over the comments. According to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the meeting with the Brazilian ambassador will take place on Monday.

This Sunday’s statements are the most forceful issued so far on the conflict by Lula, an important representative of the countries of the global south and who holds the rotating presidency of the G20.

The Hamas movement congratulated Lula in a statement, as it considered them “an accurate description of what his people suffer” in Gaza and stated that they reveal “the magnitude of the crime” committed by Israel “with the open support of the Biden administration.”

Lula, 78 years old, claimed in November that the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas had committed “an act of terrorism” in its October 7 attack against Israel, which left 1,160 dead, mostly civilians. The Islamist commandos also captured 250 people that day, of whom 130 are still held in Gaza, including 30 who reportedly died, according to Israeli figures.

But At the same time, Lula has criticized Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gazawhich has already left 28,985 dead, mostly women and minors, according to the Ministry of Health of Hamas, which has governed the territory since 2007.

“Do not jump to conclusions”

Lula has been criticized by Western powers for having a stance that is too favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president of Brazil, asked hoy Do not jump to conclusions about the death of the imprisoned Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, after Western powers rushed to blame the Kremlin for his death. “I think it is a matter of common sense (…) if the death is under suspicion, an investigation must first be carried out to find out what he died of,” Lula da Silva declared at the annual summit of the African Union.

The leader asked to wait for the forensic results before expressing any opinion. Otherwise, “if he now judges and says that I don’t know who ordered the murder and that it wasn’t him, then he will have to apologize,” he said at a press conference. “Why rush to accuse?” the politician continued, 78 years old. YesHis statements constitute the first reactions to the death of Navalny from a member of the Bricsa group of emerging countries that also includes India, China, Russia and South Africa.

Agencies AFP and Reuters

THE NATION

Themes

Lula da SilvaWar in the Middle EastHolocaustRussia

Other news from Lula da Silva

They summon ambassadors. Underneath, Brazilian diplomacy says it feels “ashamed” of Lula for comparing Israel to Hitler

Hamas had praised him. Israel’s fury with Lula for some controversial statements: they declared him “persona non grata”

War in the Middle East. Lula accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza