Lula calls Netanyahu a genocidal and says Israel wants to exterminate the Palestinian people

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) raised his tone this Tuesday (27) against the Israeli government. The PT member stated that Israel wants to “effectively end the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip” and called the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, a genocide.

On the 18th, the president compared Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip with the extermination of Jews carried out by the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler. Despite the diplomatic crisis, Lula said he would repeat his criticisms against the Israeli government.

“What I want to say loud and clear is this: the Prime Minister of Israel is carrying out genocide against women and children. This is the historical data”, stated the head of the Brazilian Executive in an interview with journalist Kennedy Alencar, on TV network. The PT member highlighted that he “clearly separates” the people from the actions of the Israeli government.

Lula reiterated the criticisms he made of Israel in recent days and stressed that he would repeat them. “I would say the same thing because that is exactly what is happening in the Gaza Strip. We cannot be hypocritical and think that one death is different from another. You do not have in the Gaza Strip a war between one highly prepared army against another A highly prepared army. You have a war between a highly prepared army against women and children,” he said.

Israeli government wants to exterminate Palestinians, says Lula

For Lula, Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip aims to exterminate the Palestinian people. The conflict began on October 7, after the terrorist group Hamas carried out a series of attacks on Israeli territory. I consider it a genocide, because it is a widely armed Army attacking a defenseless part of society.

“I consider it a genocide, because it is a widely armed Army attacking a defenseless part of society. The Israeli government wants to effectively eliminate the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. And that. It is to exterminate that territorial space with the Palestinian people so that they can occupy it. That’s it, there’s no other explanation,” he said.

“All you have to do is read the statement from Doctors Without Borders… You get a child saying they would rather die than be treated the way they are being treated, without anesthesia. Is this genocide or not genocide?”, he added.

Lula also defended that former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) should be “classified as genocidal” for his role in the Covid-19 pandemic. Shortly after the first statement about the conflict, Lula was considered “persona non grata” by Israel until he recanted. In Brazil, he was the target of an impeachment request presented by the opposition.