Brazil Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza Row

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a speech during his visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel-Ghany/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a speech during his visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel-Ghany/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Brazil Summons Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza Row

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a speech during his visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel-Ghany/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a speech during his visit to the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt February 15, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel-Ghany/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Brazil said Monday it had summoned the Israeli ambassador, in a tit-for-tat move escalating a row that erupted when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva compared Israel's military campaign in Gaza to the Holocaust.

The Brazilian foreign ministry said in a statement that Brazil had also recalled its own ambassador from Tel Aviv for "consultations," after Israel summoned the Brazilian envoy and declared Lula "persona non grata" over his remarks Sunday, demanding an apology.

"Given the gravity of the statements this morning by the government of Israel, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira... has summoned the Israeli ambassador, Daniel Zonshine, to report today to the foreign ministry," it said.

"He also recalled the Brazilian ambassador in Tel Aviv, Frederico Meyer, for consultations. He will depart for Brazil tomorrow."

The row started Sunday, when Lula said the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip "isn't a war, it's a genocide" and compared it to "when Hitler decided to kill the Jews."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lula had "crossed a red line."

Veteran leftist Lula, 78, has also faced backlash at home over his statements, which came during a press conference on the sidelines of an African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

The Brazil-Israel Institute called his comments "vulgar," and warned they risk "fueling anti-Semitism."



White House Envoy Says Iran Deal Hinges on Verification of Uranium Enrichment and Weapons 

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the news media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the news media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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White House Envoy Says Iran Deal Hinges on Verification of Uranium Enrichment and Weapons 

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the news media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the news media outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, US, March 6, 2025. (Reuters)

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Monday that a diplomatic agreement with Iran will depend on working out details around verification of the country's uranium enrichment and weapons programs.

"This is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program, and then ultimately verification on weaponization," Witkoff said in an interview on Fox News' Hannity.

"That includes missiles, the type of missiles that they have stockpiled there, and it includes the trigger for a bomb."

President Donald Trump said on Monday he believes Iran is intentionally delaying a nuclear deal with the United States and that it must abandon any drive for a nuclear weapon or face a possible military strike on Tehran's atomic facilities.

Trump spoke to reporters after Witkoff met in Oman on Saturday with a senior Iranian official.

Both Iran and the United States said they held "positive" and "constructive" talks. A second round is scheduled for Saturday, and a source briefed on the planning said the meeting was likely to be held in Rome.

The US and Iran held indirect talks during former President Joe Biden's term, but they made little, if any progress. The last known direct negotiations between the two governments were under then-President Barack Obama, who spearheaded the 2015 international nuclear deal that Trump later abandoned.