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- Brazil’s Lula clarifies controversial Israel comments amid domestic protests
Brazil’s Lula clarifies controversial Israel comments amid domestic protests
"I didn't expect the Israeli government to understand. I know (Netanyahu), I know what he thinks ideologically," Lula stated
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![Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/3d/7d/8e/df/c0/56/ef/6a/d8/5e/f8/e0/1f/f7/9e/6d/3d7d8edfc056ef6ad85ef8e01ff79e6d.jpg?width=1000)
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the controversy surrounding his recent comments about Israel, denying that he directly compared Israel's actions to the Holocaust.
Lula's remarks came during an interview with Brazilian RedeTV on Tuesday, where he sought to clarify his stance after being banned from entering Israel due to his statements.
Lula emphasized that he did not use the word "holocaust" in his remarks regarding Israel, attributing the interpretation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He maintained his position that Israel's conduct in Gaza amounted to genocide against Palestinian civilians, expressing his skepticism about Netanyahu's understanding of his original statement.
"I didn't expect the Israeli government to understand. I know (Netanyahu), I know what he thinks ideologically," Lula stated, reiterating his belief that Israel's military actions disproportionately target women and children in Gaza.
The Brazilian president also questioned the accuracy of the casualty figures provided by Israel, suggesting that the number of Hamas members reported dead might be exaggerated to conceal civilian casualties.
![AP Photo/Andre Penner](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/e8/2d/d5/cc/ea/7b/69/62/73/0d/f7/ce/45/b3/b1/ab/e82dd5ccea7b6962730df7ce45b3b1ab.jpg?width=750)
Lula's earlier comments, made during a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, drew strong condemnation from Netanyahu, who labeled them as "shameful and grave." Netanyahu characterized Lula's remarks as Holocaust trivialization and an affront to the Jewish people's history and Israel's right to self-defense.
In response to Lula's statements, Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned Brazil's ambassador for a reprimand at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, emphasizing Israel's firm stance against Holocaust trivialization and its commitment to defending itself against threats.
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The controversy surrounding Lula's comments has sparked debate within Brazil, with a CNN Brasil poll indicating that 83 percent of respondents disagreed with Lula's comparison between Israel's actions and the Holocaust.
Additionally, the poll revealed that a majority of Brazilians sided with Israel in the conflict.