In a statement, the Israeli embassy in Brazil said civilians in Gaza were not “enemies” and had no intention of killing Palestinians
The Israeli Embassy in Brazil published a statement on Thursday (January 11, 2024) criticizing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT)'s support for South Africa's initiative to go to the Hague court to sue Israel for “genocide.” to determine. The document was sent to Power360. Read more in full below.
Israel's mission said it “categorically” rejected the “defamation” of the African country and rejected allegations that it intended to kill Palestinians. “Israel is committed to and acts in accordance with international law and directs its military operations in Gaza exclusively against Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” the text says.
The country, which has been at war with Hamas since the extremist group's attack on October 7, 2023, also claimed it had proven “in word and deed” that Gaza's civilians were “not its enemies.”
“According to the UN definition [Organização das Nações Unidas] For the term genocide, definitions that Brazil values and works in light of, what matters most is intent. “Israel has no intention of killing innocent Palestinians and avoids doing so as much as possible,” the note said.
The Israeli Embassy in Brazil also stated that it was important that Brazil take into account the definition of “genocide” when making its decision.
LULA SUPPORT
Lula declared on Wednesday (January 10) his support for South Africa's initiative to appeal to the United Nations International Court of Justice to investigate “acts and measures that may constitute genocide or related crimes” and to establish an immediate ceasefire by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The president made the decision after a meeting the same day with the Palestinian ambassador to Brazil, Ibrahim Alzeben. Here is the full official communication from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PDF 154 kB).
“The Brazilian government reiterates its defense of the twostate solution, in which an economically viable Palestinian state lives side by side with Israel in peace and security within mutually agreed and internationally recognized borders, which include the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the document said.
SUGGESTION FROM SOUTH AFRICA
The initiative was unveiled by South Africa on December 29, 2023. This concerns alleged violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The International Court of Justice, also known as the Hague Court, is the most important legal body of the United Nations. It is responsible for settling disputes between states. It is located in The Hague in the Netherlands. Find out how the dish works in this video.
Read the full statement from the Israeli Embassy below:
“Israel categorically rejects the defamation of South Africa, which has accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza in its case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Israel is committed to and acts in accordance with international law and directs its military operations in Gaza exclusively against Hamas and other terrorist organizations. In both words and deeds, Israel has made it clear that Gaza's civilians are not its enemies. However, Hamas has openly declared its genocidal intentions. Its founding charter calls for the murder of Jews, and its leaders openly state that their goal is to “repeatedly” commit the October 7 atrocities.
“According to the UN definition of genocide, definitions that Brazil values and works in light of, what matters most is intent. Israel has no intention of killing innocent Palestinians and avoids doing so as much as possible, despite the difficulties that Hamas creates in its operation by using innocent citizens as human shields.
“When deciding on the request to President Lula, it is extremely important that Brazil takes these facts into account.”