by Cynthia Rush (EIRNS) — Feb. 15, 2024
During his two-day visit to Egypt over Feb. 14-15, which ended this evening local time, Brazilian President Lula da Silva minced no words in discussing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and laying the blame squarely on Israel. “Any way you look at it, the scale of violence committed against the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza has no justification. A definite ceasefire is urgently needed to allow for delivery of sustainable and uninterrupted humanitarian assistance, as well as the immediate and unconditional freedom of hostages,” he said.
He added that Brazil opposes any attempt at forced displacement of the Palestinian people. That is why, he said, it supported the process begun by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice. “There will be no peace without a Palestinian state. There is no explanation for Israel’s behavior, using the defeat of Hamas as a pretext, killing women and children,” he told reporters following his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. In this context, he charged that multilateral organizations created to resolve these kinds of problems “don’t work,” and that now is the time to start making the necessary changes in global governance. Israel has earned the top spot when it comes to non-compliance with any resolution coming from the UN.
In a passionate speech before an extraordinary session of the Arab League in Cairo, in which Brazil holds observer status, Lula warned that the effects of the Israel-Palestine conflict could extend well beyond the Mideast and lead to “unpredictable and catastrophic scenarios.” He slammed the “rich countries” that decided to cut off funding for UNRWA, based on charges against a few people, and recounted the devastation suffered by the Palestinian people as a result.
“Brazil’s position is clear,” he said. “There will be no peace as long as there is no Palestinian state … there are no more excuses to prevent Palestine’s entry into the UN as a full member. Taking up peace negotiations is a universal cause. It is our cause. … I’ve come here to tell you that I will persist in continuing to fight for peace, as peace is the only possibility that people have to develop and improve their lives.”