Brazil Withdraws Its Ambassador to Israel Yet Keeps Its Embassy in Place
The Claim
Brazil has closed its embassy in Israel.
News posted on
Emerging story
Amid months of tensions between the two countries over the war in Gaza, social media users alleged that Brazil has closed its embassy in Israel.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading.
Brazil withdrew its ambassador from Israel but did not close its embassy there.
Brazil Withdraws Its Ambassador to Israel
Contrary to the social media users’ claim, Brazil did not close its embassy in Israel.
According to ABC News, the Brazilian Embassy in Israel is still open, but without an ambassador in the post.
In addition, the Reuters media outlet, citing the official gazette on Wednesday, reported that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has reassigned his ambassador to Israel, appointing him as his special representative in Geneva. This move comes amid a diplomatic dispute between Brazil and Israel.
According to a statement from Brazil's foreign relations ministry, a new Brazilian ambassador to Israel will be appointed soon. In the meantime, the embassy in Tel Aviv will be headed by its chargé d'affaires.
Diplomatic Spat Between Brazil and Israel
The ambassador's removal came a few months after President Lula called him back to Brazil. This recall came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned the ambassador to inform him that President Lula was considered an undesirable persona in Israel.
This was in response to Lula's remarks comparing Israel's war on Gaza to the Holocaust. The ambassador has not returned to Israel since then. He will now serve as Brazil's special representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva.
Brazil's President Compares Israel’s War on Gaza with the Holocaust
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, comparing its actions to Adolf Hitler’s campaign to exterminate Jewish people.
“What’s happening in the Gaza Strip isn’t a war, it’s a genocide,” Lula stated to reporters in Addis Ababa during an African Union summit on Sunday.
“It’s not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It’s a war between a highly prepared army and women and children,” the Brazilian president added.
“What’s happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn’t happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”
Recent Developments in Israel's Genocidal Campaign in Gaza
Since October 7, Israel has killed at least 36,224 Palestinian individuals and injured 81,777 others. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 53 people have been killed and 357 injured in the latest 24-hour period.
In northern Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp, the scene is one of utter devastation as Israeli troops have withdrawn to the east after 20 days of intense escalation.
Moreover, Israeli bombardments persist in southern Rafah, leaving hundreds of thousands of civilians caught in the war with no safe place to escape.
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