Overview

• Israel declared Brazil's President Lula persona non grata following his comparison of Israeli operations against Hamas in Gaza to the Holocaust.
• Lula's remarks, made during his Africa tour, have been condemned by Israeli officials as trivializing the Holocaust and antisemitic.
• Israeli Foreign Minister summoned Brazil's ambassador for a protest call, demanding Lula retract his statements.
• Lula criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza as 'genocide', a stance that has escalated criticism from Israeli leadership.
• The diplomatic rift underscores deepening tensions over the portrayal and response to the conflict in Gaza.