Brazil Recalls Ambassador To Israel, Summons Envoy Amid Diplomatic Row Over Lula's Remarks On Gaza War

Brazil has indicated that it does not intend to retract President Lula's remarks, further complicating the situation. Meanwhile, it remains unclear how long Ambassador Meyer will remain in Brazil

New Delhi: Diplomatic tensions have escalated between Brazil and Israel following Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's controversial remarks comparing Israel's actions against Hamas to the Holocaust. The situation has led to a series of diplomatic actions, including the recall of ambassadors and reprimands from both sides. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has recalled his ambassador to Israel for talks, as per the country's Foreign Ministry.

Israeli Ambassador Daniel Zonshine was summoned for a reprimand, hours after Ambassador Frederico Meyer had been hauled in for a dressing down in Jerusalem over Lula’s comments, The Brazilian Foreign Ministry said, as per The Times of Israel.

The Times of Israel cited a diplomatic source as informing that Israeli Ambassador Daniel Zonshine was summoned by Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira for a stern conversation, expressing dissatisfaction with the treatment of Ambassador Meyer and President Lula during the incident. 

Meyer was forced to listen to a statement in Hebrew “without an interpreter, without knowing what was being said,” the source added, as per The Times of Israel.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, Brazil has indicated that it does not intend to retract President Lula's remarks, further complicating the diplomatic situation. Meanwhile, it remains unclear how long Ambassador Meyer will remain in Brazil and what impact these developments will have on diplomatic relations between the two countries, reported The Times of Israel.

Brazil President Draws Ire Post Stern Remark

The diplomatic spat originated from President Lula's comments, where he accused Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza and fighting only against women and children. These remarks drew strong condemnation from Israeli officials, Foreign Minister Israel Katz had summoned Meyer for a reprimand following Lula’s comments, telling him that Israel “will not forget and we will not forgive", as per The Times of Israel.

“What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has no parallel in other historical moments,” he said, before offering up a comparison. “In fact, it did exist when Hitler decided to kill the Jews", he remarked as per The Times of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Lula's comments with outrage, describing them as "shameful" and asserting that the Brazilian leader had "crossed a red line." The comparison drawn by President Lula between Israel's actions in Gaza and the Holocaust, a historical event characterized by the systematic genocide of millions of Jews by the Nazis, was particularly contentious and sparked widespread condemnation,as per The Times of Israel.

The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s October 7 massacres, which saw thousands of terrorists launch an unprecedented attack on Israel’s south, murdering some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 250, amid acts of brutality including sexual violence.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel declared war with the proclaimed objectives of dismantling the terrorist organization and securing the release of the hostages.