Brazil’s radical leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, accused Israel on Thursday of killing “women and children” in a self-defense operation against the jihadist terrorist group Hamas.
The Brazilian president criticized Israel as part of his speech during an official visit to Egypt. session In this, Lula also called on the United Nations to recognize “Palestine” as a state with Jerusalem as its capital.Then Lula repeated He criticized Israel in a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Lula also criticized the U.N. Security Council and urged it to reform its rules. This is a demand that the socialist president has long expressed and reinforced since Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. Although Lula has actively criticized Israel’s self-defense efforts since October 7, he has rarely said anything condemning Hamas.
“Brazil’s position is clear: there will be no peace until there is a Palestinian state within mutually agreed upon and internationally recognized borders, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem as its capital,” Lula said. he told the Arab League.
Lula claimed that Israel’s response to October 7 was “disproportionate and indiscriminate.”
“Under the pretext of overthrowing Hamas, they are killing women and children. This is something I have never seen in any war that I know of,” Lula said at a press conference after meeting with the Egyptian president. Ta.
“The killing must stop,” he said later in the press conference. Lula previously accused Israel committed “genocide” in the Gaza Strip to protect itself from terrorist organizations.
“There is an urgent need to establish a final ceasefire that allows for the provision of sustained and unhindered humanitarian assistance and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages,” Lula continued. “Brazil fully opposes any attempt to forcibly relocate Palestinians. There can be no peace without a Palestinian state coexisting with Israel within mutually agreed upon and internationally recognized borders. .”
Lula also noted that multiple countries have cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the Palestinian relief agency, following evidence that its employees not only supported but also participated in the October 7 massacre. In response, he defended the institution.
“Rich countries have decided to cut humanitarian aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at a time when the Palestinian people need it most,” Lula said. “Recent allegations against agency officials require a proper investigation, but they must not be paralyzed. Palestinian refugees in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon will also be denied assistance.”
Lula committed an unspecified crime.“New funding to UNRWA” ignored the organization’s long-standing ties to community action.
The Brazilian President also reiterated his call for reform of the United Nations Security Council and expressed his demands. issued As part of a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“It is unfortunate that the multilateral institutions that were set up to help resolve these issues are not functioning,” he said after meeting with Sisi. “That’s why Brazil is committed and wants to count on Egypt’s support so that we can bring about the necessary changes in global governing bodies.”
“We need a new geopolitics at the United Nations, we need an end to the veto power of states, and the members of the Security Council need to be pacifists, not warmongers,” he said. continued.
The Security Council met for the second time during Brazil’s monthly rotating chair of the group, in the aftermath of Hamas’ unprecedented jihadist attack on October 7, which killed an estimated 1,200 people. . We’re screwed To issue a statement condemning Hamas’ atrocities and Israeli aggression.
Lula did not publicly condemn Hamas at the time, but claim He said it was part of the government’s policy to “avoid publicity” for terrorist organizations. Despite this, Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials claimed At the time, Brazilian government departments told CNN Brazil that they were sympathetic to Hamas and considered the terrorist organization “important” to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
