Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (EFE/André Borges)
The Brazilian opposition submitted a motion on this Tuesday Impeachment proceedings against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who compared Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip with the holocaustwhich triggered a harsh response from the Israeli government.
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The motion for “impeachment” made by the MP. Carla Zambellifrom the Liberal Party (PL), received the support of at least 108 MPsincluding 27 from parties close to the government, according to a list that MP Zambelli herself published on her account on X.
Although the ruling party does not have a majority in the chambers of Congress, it is unlikely that the impeachment request will advance: Lula has already been the protagonist of several impeachment attempts since taking office in January 2023.
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The initiative, after taking into account Lula's statements, focuses on: “an act of hostility against a foreign nation”, alluding to a possible risk of compromising Brazil's neutrality or national security. “This request is not an act of presumption against Lula… it is an action in defense of national security,” Zambelli said on his social networks.
In addition, a motion to challenge the Brazilian President was presented, signed by 53 deputies and led by the deputy Julia Zanattaalso from the PL.
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The controversy arose following a statement by Lula during a press conference in Ethiopia, where he compared the situation in Gaza to the actions of Hitler: “What is happening to the Palestinian people in Gaza has never happened at any other time in history. In fact, it existed when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”
Israel's reaction was immediate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz strongly condemned Lula's comments and declared the Brazilian president president “undesirable person” until he takes back his words. This situation escalated and affected diplomatic relations, as evidenced by the treatment of the Brazilian ambassador to Israel, who was summoned to the Holocaust Museum instead of the Foreign Ministry, a move that was interpreted as a lack of diplomacy on Brazil's part.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz strongly condemned Lula's comments, calling the Brazilian president “persona non grata” until he retracts his words. (Portal/Ronen Zvulun)
The Brazilian government, through Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and First Lady Rosangela da Silva, defended the president's position, stressing that his comments were directed against the Israeli government's actions and not against the Jewish people. “The speech referred to the genocidal government and not the Jewish people. Let's be honest in our analysis“, published the First Lady on the X platform.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Brazilian Congress is becoming even more complicated for Lula, who currently does not have a majority. Submitting the impeachment motion heightens political tension at a moment already fraught with the international impact of his comments. Although the chances of success of the impeachment seem slim, the situation underscores the complexity of diplomacy and domestic politics in the broader context of international relations.