After statement against Israel, opposition calls for Lula’s impeachment

The opposition bench in the Chamber of Deputies will file an impeachment request against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), after his statement comparing Israel’s actions against the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust.

Lula stated during a press conference held in Ethiopia this Sunday that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has not existed at any other historical moment. In fact, it existed. When Hitler decided to kill the Jews”, comparing the current conflict with the Holocaust.

The initiative is headed by federal deputy Carla Zambelli (PL-SP). For her, such statements constitute a crime of responsibility in accordance with the Article 5 of the Federal Constitution. Among the crime options are: 3 – commit an act of hostility against a foreign nation, exposing the Republic to the danger of war, or compromising its neutrality;”.

“Lula encourages racial insult, and incurs a crime of responsibility provided for in article 5 of the Federal Constitution, which also corroborates the speech of the 1st Minister of Israel who immediately demonstrated his vehement repudiation. This gives rise to the Request for Impeachment which we are presenting against the leader of our Nation, who exposed us to the danger of war, as a measure of the application of the most complete and urgent justice”, explains Zambelli, in a note sent to People’s Gazette.

Zambelli also adds that the statement “is an affront to the Jews, to the descendants of the horror of Nazism and something that only encourages the growth of anti-Semitism in Brazil.” “The right to freedom of expression does not include trivializing the Holocaust”, adds the deputy.

“The incomparable cannot be compared. Nothing compares to the greatest tragedy of humanity, which was the Holocaust and which killed 6 million Jews, in addition to several minorities. The statement made by the President of the Republic is unjustifiable, frivolous and absurd”, highlights the deputy.

The admission of the impeachment request now depends on the approval of the President of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (Pros-AL). If approved, the request is sent to the Special Committee, which will be formed within 48 hours. Once the impeachment is admitted, the person accused is notified and has up to 10 sessions to speak out before voting in the plenary.

See which federal deputies have already signed the impeachment request:

1. Carla Zambelli
2. Julia Zanata
3. Deputy Caveira
4. Mario Frias
5. Colonel Meira
6. ⁠Mauricio Marcon
7. Paulo Bilynskyj
8. Sgt Fahur
9. Delegate Fabio Costa
10. Carlos Jordy
11. Gustavo Gayer
12. Sgt Gonçalves
13. Kim Kataguiri
14. Bia Kicis
15. General Girão
16. Luiz Philippe
17. Nikolas Ferreira
18. Alfredo Gaspar
19. Rosangela Moro
20. Gilvan from Federal
21. Carol DeToni
22. Amália Barros
23. Domingos Savio
24. Ramagem
25. Nicoletti
26. Messiah Donato
27. ⁠André Fernandes
28. Marcelo Alvaro Antônio
29. Eros Biondini
30. Junio ​​Amaral
31. Colonel Telhada
32. Marcel Van Hatten
33. José Medeiros
34. Zucco
35. Daniel Freitas
36. ⁠Zé Trovão
37. Daniela Reinehr
38. Captain Alden
39. Filipe Martins
40. Bibo Nunes