Israel declares Lula “persona non grata” after comments about genocide

(CNN) — Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced this on Monday persona non grata to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Israel, according to a statement published in X by Katz.

“We will neither forgive nor forget: On my own behalf and on behalf of the citizens of Israel, I inform President Lula that this is a persona non grata in Israel until he apologizes and takes back his words,” Katz said.

persona non grataWhich in Latin means “persona non grata” or “persona non grata”, is a diplomatic term used to designate a foreign person whose entry or stay in a country is prohibited by the government in power.

Speaking at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on Sunday, Lula described the situation in Gaza as “genocide”.

Lula said, “What is happening in Gaza to the Palestinian people is unprecedented in history. In fact, it is what happened when Hitler decided to kill the Jews.”

Katz’s announcement came as he called Brazil’s ambassador to the Israeli Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, to express Israel’s objection to Lula’s statements.

Israel’s Foreign Minister underlined the seriousness of Lula’s comments, calling them a “serious anti-Semitic attack” that “desecrates” the memory of those killed in the Holocaust, including Katz’s own family members.