Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz on Monday declared Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva persona non grata after he compared the situation in the Gaza Strip to the Holocaust.
According to a statement from Katz's office, he told Brazil's ambassador to Israel that his country "will not forget nor forgive," adding that this is a "serious antisemitic attack." "In my name and the name of the citizens of Israel, tell President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he takes it [his statement] back."
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that Lula crossed the line and called his remarks "shameful and alarming."
