Israel has condemned Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva for comparing the Israeli war against Hamas militants in Gaza to the Nazi genocide of the Jews during World War Two, calling his remarks “outrageous and offensive”.
Lula made the controversial statement on Sunday, while speaking to reporters at the 37th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He said that the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been conducting a military operation since Oct. 7 to demolish Hamas, was similar to the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed by Nazi Germany.
“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 also criticized the international community for failing to intervene and stop the violence in Gaza, which has claimed more than 1,300 Palestinian lives and 13 Israeli lives, according to the latest figures from the United Nations and the Israeli army. He said that the world was witnessing a “massacre” and a “genocide” in Gaza, and that the African Union should take a more active role in resolving the conflict.
The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that it was “shocked and dismayed” by Lula’s remarks, and that it would summon the Brazilian ambassador for a reprimand. It said that Lula’s comparison was “baseless and unacceptable”, and that it showed a “lack of understanding of the history of the Jewish people and the Holocaust”.
Stop Trivializing the Holocaust
“Such statements not only trivialize the Holocaust, but also insult the memory of its victims and the feelings of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” the ministry said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also denounced Lula’s comments, saying that they were “disgraceful and grave”. He said that Lula was “ignoring the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks to destroy Israel and that uses its own population as human shields”.
Netanyahu said that Israel was fighting to defend itself and to protect its citizens from Hamas’ rockets, and that it was doing everything possible to avoid harming civilians in Gaza. He said that Israel respected Brazil as a friend and a partner, but that it expected it to show more “responsibility and balance” in its stance on the Middle East.
Lula’s remarks have also drawn criticism from Jewish groups and human rights organizations, who said that they were “inaccurate and irresponsible”. They said that Lula was distorting the reality of the Gaza war, and that he was undermining the efforts to achieve a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Lula, who is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential leaders in Latin America, has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and a critic of Israel’s policies. He has also been a strong advocate of dialogue and cooperation among different regions and cultures, and has sought to enhance Brazil’s role in the international arena.
Lula, who is due to step down in 2024 after third terms in office, has not yet responded to the Israeli reaction to his remarks. He is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories in March, as part of his farewell tour of the world.
