
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had a "frank exchange" on Wednesday in which Blinken made it clear to Brazil's leader the US did not agree with his recent remarks about Israel's war in Gaza, Reuters reported.
"I would say that it was a frank exchange, with the secretary making clear that we don't agree with those comments," said a senior State Department official, who briefed reporters after the meeting in Brasilia.
US officials had previously said they expected Lula and Blinken to have a robust conversation on issues of global security, including the conflict in Gaza that was sparked by attacks in Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
Blinken highlighted US efforts to free hostages still being held by Hamas and get a temporary pause in the conflict, as well as to increase humanitarian aid, according to US officials.
In a separate statement, Brazil's presidential office said the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, involved discussions on topics ranging from the G20 summit to peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine.
"President Lula reaffirmed his wish for peace and an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip," the Brazilian government said, according to Reuters. "Both agreed on the need for the creation of a Palestinian state."
Da Silva caused an uproar earlier this week after he compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler against Jews during World War II.
"What is happening in the Gaza Strip is not war. This is genocide. It is not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It is a war between a trained military against women and children. What is happening in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinian people has not happened at almost any other time in history. In fact, it only happened once; when Hitler decided to kill the Jews," the Brazilian President charged.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Israel Katz called the Brazilian Ambassador, Federico Mayer, for a reprimand in the wake of da Silva’s comments. The reprimand took place at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem.
"We will not forgive and we will not forget: In my name and in the name of all citizens of Israel, tell President Lula that he is a persona non grata in Israel until he apologizes and retracts his statements," Katz told the ambassador.
Later,da Silva announced that the Brazilian ambassador to Israel would be recalled and that Brazil has decided to summon Israel's ambassador to the country for a reprimand.