Lula da Silva: What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, but rather annihilation... and “Israel” is behaving like Hitler

Lula da Silva: What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, but rather annihilation... and “Israel” is behaving like Hitler

    Sunday, February 18, 2024   No comments

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, likening what it was doing to the Holocaust during World War II.

Lula told reporters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he attended an African Union summit, that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a war, it is genocide,” adding that it is “a war between a highly prepared army, and women and children.”

He continued, "What is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people has not happened at any other stage in history. In fact, it had already happened when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."

These are among the harshest statements made by the leftist Brazilian president regarding the Israeli aggression against Gaza and the Hamas movement since its outbreak on October 7, and since then he has strongly criticized the retaliatory military campaign launched by Israel against the besieged Gaza Strip.

As a result, the Foreign Minister of Israel, Israel Katz, decided today, Sunday, to summon the Brazilian ambassador to “Israel” to rebuke him in the wake of the Brazilian president’s statements, which he described as shameful against “Israel,” according to the Israeli media.

For his part, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, described Lula da Silva's statements as "shameful and dangerous."

He said that comparing "Israel" to the Nazi Holocaust and Hitler is crossing a red line, noting that "Israel" is fighting to defend itself and ensure its future until complete victory.

Previously, the Brazilian President denounced the provocative actions carried out by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, stressing that they had “reached an unacceptable extent.”

He stressed the need to "pressure Israel to comply with United Nations resolutions," stressing that he came to deliver a message of support to the Palestinian people, and that Brazil is against the war, pledging to provide financial aid to UNRWA.

The 36th summit of the African Union.. What is on its agenda?

The 36th summit of the African Union.. What is on its agenda?

    Saturday, February 18, 2023   No comments

A number of challenges are facing the African summit, most notably considering the file of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as well as the frozen memberships of countries, including Sudan.

There will also be closed sessions to adopt the agenda, and to hear reports on the state of peace and security, and the African Free Trade Area, in addition to other files related to the evaluation of the implementation plan for the first decade of Africa's Vision 2063, and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.

In a speech, the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, said, "What is required is to activate the African Free Trade Area quickly to meet the various challenges," adding that the continent's partners "impose strict conditions for financing our various projects."

Faki also called for "the necessity of reforming global governance that excludes Africa from the Security Council," noting that "some of the goals adopted by the continent have not been achieved due to the lack of political will among some."

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission warned of the expansion of terrorism in Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, explaining the need for international solidarity with the affected countries.

For his part, the Ethiopian Prime Minister said in his speech that "Africa must be represented in the Security Council with at least one permanent seat and two non-permanent seats."

In turn, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, "The Russian-Ukrainian war has directly affected the lives of the African people, who bear the greatest challenges," he said.

Guterres considered that "Africa needs international financing to relieve the burden of debt burdened with it," calling on the other hand for the return of the democratic path in Sudan, Mali and Burkina Faso.

And the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry announced earlier that the leaders of 36 African countries confirmed their attendance at the summit, which begins with an open session that includes several speakers, most notably Senegalese President Macky Sall, head of the ending session of the Union, and President of the Comoros Ghazali Osmani, head of the next session, in addition to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

In a message to African leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that he stands ready to work with leaders of African countries to build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.  Xi made the pledge in his message to the 36th African Union (AU) Summit, in which he extended congratulations to African countries and the African people on the opening of the summit, according to Chinese media reporting.