Lula da Silva withdraws his ambassador to Israel following accusations between both countries

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decided to withdraw his ambassador to Israel, Frederico Meyer, as a result of the tensions and exchange of accusations between both countries since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The decision to remove Meyer was informed by an anonymous employee of Brazil's Foreign Ministry, the Associated Press reported.

This is the latest episode that widens the fracture in diplomatic relations between both countries. On several occasions, Lula da Silva has accused Israel of , due to the counteroffensive measures it is carrying out against terrorists within the strip. "What the Government of the State of Israel is doing is not a war, it is a genocide. They are murdering children and women," the Brazilian president even said.

Furthermore, Lula da Silva positioned himself in favor of the creation of a Palestinian state that "lives in harmony with Israel."

Those attacks led Israel to declare Lula da Silva persona non grata. Following this determination by Benjamin Netanyahu's government, the Brazilian president called Meyer for consultations, an event that concluded with the withdrawal of the ambassador to Israel.