Brazilian President's Controversial Holocaust Comparison Sparks Israeli Diplomatic Response

In a series of statements during a summit, Brazilian former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva compared Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust. He invoked Adolf Hitler while decrying Israel's actions and condemned both the attacks against Israeli civilians and what he described as Israel's disproportionate response. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, strongly criticized Lula's remarks, describing them as "disgraceful," "trivializing the Holocaust," and "crossing a red line." The Brazilian Israelite Confederation also accused Lula of an "extreme and unbalanced" stance on the conflict.