After causing a stir with his remarks earlier this week when he accused Israel of "genocide" in Gaza and compared its actions to the extermination of European Jewry by Hitler and the Nazis, Brazilian President Lula da Silva now finds himself in danger of impeachment.
According to reports in the local media, the impeachment request submitted to the Brazilian House of Representatives is based on two counts: "hostile action against a foreign nation" and "neutrality" - that is, danger of war and involvement in a global conflict. So far, more than 100 members of the House of Representatives, out of 513 in total, have signed the request.
As you may recall, da Silva 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 war, it is genocide," Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa, where he attended the African Union summit. "This is not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It is a war between a very organized army and women and children. What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people did not happen at any other moment in history. In fact, it happened once: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."
Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted strongly to Lula's outburst at the time. "His words are shameful and serious. This is about the trivialization of the Holocaust and an attempt to harm the Jewish people and Israel's right to defend itself," said the Prime Minister, emphasizing that, "comparing Israel to the Holocaust of the Nazis and Hitler is crossing a red line. We are fighting for Israel's defense and securing its future until complete victory, while upholding international law."
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned Brazil's ambassador to Israel for a tour of Yad Vashem, during which he called the president of Brazil "a persona non grata." For its part, Brazil summoned Israel's ambassador and announced the return of its representative from Tel Aviv.
