Brazil Summons Israeli Envoy, Recalls it Own Ambassador, Says Lula Won’t Retract Holocaust Remark

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's comparison of Israel's military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust has unleashed a diplomatic firestorm, with Brazil recalling its ambassador Monday and Israel declaring Lula "persona non grata."

The row erupted the day before when Lula said the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip "isn't a war, it's a genocide," and compared it to "when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lula had "crossed a red line," and Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Lula is "persona non grata in the state of Israel so long as he doesn't retract his remarks and apologize."