BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Feb. 18 accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and compared Israel's military actions to those of the Jews, which drew a strong response from Israel.
Lula made the remarks while attending the 37th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the same day. He told reporters that what was happening in the Gaza Strip was "not a war, but a genocide."
On February 15, Egypt's ** Sisi (right) met with visiting Brazilian ** Lula in the capital Cairo. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of Egypt) "It's not a war between soldiers and soldiers, it's a war between well-equipped troops and women and children," Lula said. What has befallen the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has never happened in history. Actually, it also happened, at the time of Hitler's decision to ** the Jews. ”
According to the Associated Press, Lula has repeatedly criticized Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, and his statement on the 18th was the first time he compared the matter with the Jewish Congress.
South Africa filed a complaint with the United Nations International Court of Justice last December, accusing Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip. Lula expressed his support for South Africa at the time.
Palestinians inspect the ruins of Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on February 12. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Yasser Qudi) In response to Lula's statement on the 18th, the Israeli side reacted strongly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lula's remarks "crossed a red line" and were "belittling" an attempt to harm Jews and Israel's right to self-defense.
Netanyahu said that he had consulted with Minister Israel Katz and decided to summon the Brazilian ambassador to Israel to propose.
Isaac Herzog, Israel, criticized "the brutal accusations of Hitler's crimes by the leaders of certain countries" as an "immoral distortion of history". However, he did not criticize Lula by name.
Israel's *** Minister, Defense Minister and a number of others also slammed Lula's remarks on social media.
On 13 February, people affected by attacks by the Israeli army fled their homes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Yasser Cudi) Lula reiterated on the 18th that Brazil supports the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli issue through the "two-state solution". At a meeting with Palestine on the 17th, he said that Brazil would increase its contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Israel** has designated more than a dozen UNRWA staff members for involvement in the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attacks against Israel last October. Subsequently, the United States, Canada and many other Western countries announced the suspension of donations, resulting in the risk of "running out" for this relief agency.
On the 18th, Lula criticized these developed countries that have suspended their donations. "When I saw these rich countries announcing that they would stop funding humanitarian aid to Palestine, I realized how politically conscious and united these people are. When we should enlarge the pattern, we should not be so narrow-minded. ”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Near East (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to provide humanitarian, educational and medical services to registered Palestinian refugees living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. After the outbreak of the new Israeli-Palestinian conflict last October, the agency played a key role in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip. (Wang Hongbin).