The governor of Brazil’s Sao Paulo state apologized to the Jewish community for welcoming a Muslim clergyman accused of having ties with Hezbollah.
Gov. Marcio Franca welcomed Sheikh Bilal Mohsen Wehbe as part of a group of members of the local Lebanese community during a visit to the state government headquarters on April 17. The fact was revealed by Veja magazine’s online edition on Saturday, followed by a condemnation statement released by the Sao Paulo Jewish Federation on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, Gov. Marcio Franca and his team ignored the organization’s links to smuggling and drug trafficking in the Triple Frontier region between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, as well as its radical stance calling for the destruction of the State of Israel, and gave legitimacy to a group recognized as terrorist by Israel.
JTA