“The one who has to apologize is Israel, and not to Brazil, but to humanity”, says Amorim

The advisor for international affairs to the Presidency of the Republic, Celso Amorim, once again defended the stance of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in the diplomatic crisis with Israel. This Sunday (18), the president equated the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip with the Holocaust. “What is happening in the Gaza Strip does not exist at any other historical moment, in fact, it existed when Hitler decided to kill the Jews”, stated the PT member.

For Amorim, Israel must apologize to humanity. “The one who has to apologize is Israel, and it is not to Brazil, but to humanity”, said the former chancellor in an interview with the column Bela Megalein the newspaper The globe, this Monday (19). He highlighted that “there is no chance of an apology” from Lula. The declaration generated harsh criticism and the Brazilian president was declared “persona non grata” in Israel.

“Lula has no reason to be upset. Obviously, Brazil will not celebrate any separation in diplomatic relations. The one who has to be worried is Israel, which is increasingly isolated internationally”, highlighted Amorim. The former chancellor pointed out that
“this has nothing to do with the Jewish people” and that the government has “the greatest appreciation for the Jewish people, who made countless contributions to Brazil and the world”.

After the repercussion of Lula’s speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, recalled the Brazilian ambassador in Tel Aviv, Frederico Meyer, who will return to the country this Tuesday (20).