Colombia's Petro backs Lula's comments on Gaza genocide
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Petro wrote on X that he expressed solidarity with Lula and that a "genocide is taking place in Gaza," and thousands were being murdered.
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivers a speech during the opening of Colombia's regional elections in Bogota on October 29, 2023. (AFP)
Colombian President Gustavo Petro applauded Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's recent words labeling "Israel's" operation in the Gaza Strip "a genocide" and called an urgent halt to the carnage in the besieged strip on Tuesday.
Petro wrote on X that he expressed solidarity with Lula and reiterated that a "genocide is taking place in Gaza," and thousands were being murdered.
This was not Lula's first time to draw such comparisons, nor was he the first world leader to do so.
During an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, the Brazilian President said, "What's happening in the Gaza Strip isn't a war, it's a genocide," detailing that Israeli troops were not fighting "soldiers against soldiers," but rather a highly prepared army against "women and children."
He expressed that what was going on in Palestine had happened in the past when Hitler "decided to kill the Jews."
Unsurprisingly, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told the Brazilian ambassador that Lula's comments were "antisemitic" and would not be forgiven or forgotten.
"Lula simply told the truth, and the truth should be defended, otherwise barbarism will destroy us," Petro remarked.
Expreso mi solidaridad integral al presidente Lula del Brasil. En Gaza hay un genocidio y se asesina cobardemente a miles de niños, mujeres y ancianos civiles.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) February 20, 2024
Lula solo ha dicho la verdad y la verdad se defiende o la barbarie nos aniquilará.
Toda la región debe unirse para que…
The whole region should unite to "immediately end the violence in Palestine," the Petro explained, adding that the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision should have "consequences" for "Israel's" diplomatic ties with all nations across the world.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also echoed Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's recent remark after he accused "Israel" on Sunday of committing genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, likening its crimes to Adolf Hitler's in Nazi Germany.
Netanyahu calls Lula's comments 'Holocaust trivialization'
Responding to Lula's comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to them as "Holocaust trivialization" that aims to strip the Jewish people of the right to "self-defense".
He stated that comparing the occupation to Nazis and Hitler was "crossing a red line."
Netanyahu also dared to claim that "Israel's" attempt to "defend itself" was being done by "upholding international law."
He stated that he decided to summon the Brazilian ambassador to "Israel" for an "immediate reproach".
Lula has been repeatedly critical of the Israeli onslaught on Palestine. At a summit at the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, he criticized the United Nations for its failure to address international conflicts and harshly condemned "Israel's" actions in Gaza.
"Israel's behavior has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children," he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
There can be no peace without the establishment of a Palestinian State, Lula said, as he urged for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
