The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Critique of South American Responses to the Israel-Hamas Conflict
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (CSW), a prominent international Jewish human rights organization, has expressed its disapproval of the positions adopted by the governments of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile in relation to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This conflict, which is currently raging between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas within the Gaza Strip, has elicited a variety of international responses.
South American Presidents’ Criticism of Israel
The CSW has strongly condemned the statements made by the presidents of the aforementioned South American countries. These leaders, including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolivia’s Luis Arce, and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, have drawn comparisons between Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza and the Holocaust. This comparison to the genocide of six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II, under the regime of Adolf Hitler, has been met with harsh criticism.
Accusations of Genocide
According to the CSW, Lula has further escalated the diplomatic conflict by accusing Israel of “genocide”. He stated that “what is happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people did not happen at any time in history, except when Hitler decided to kill the Jews”. The CSW takes issue with this comparison, arguing that it is misguided.
Israel’s Response and Lula’s Reaction
The international organization has noted that Israel has declared Lula persona non grata until he either retracts his statement or offers an apology. However, instead of complying, the Brazilian president decided to recall the ambassador to Israel and summon the Israeli ambassador to Brasília to demand explanations.
Solidarity with Lula
The CSW also rejected the fact that the presidents of Colombia and Bolivia expressed their solidarity with Lula in his accusation against Israel.
CSW’s Take on the Situation
“It is impressive that they seek a magical solution to the conflict through the cessation of Israel’s actions,” said the organization.
“If they were sincere in their intentions, they should be advocating with all their might the surrender of Hamas, the return of the hostages and the establishment of secure borders. With their never-innocent statements, they demonstrate that they do not care at all about the Palestinian people. They only care about attacking Israel and making friends with Iran,” said CSW director for Latin America, Ariel Gelblung, in a statement.
Chile’s Representative at the International Court of Justice
The CSW also expressed irritation with the fact that the Chilean representative at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Ximena Fuentes, accused Israel of “systematic violation of international law” as a State policy, by perpetuating the conflict and maintaining a constant occupation of Palestine, preventing a two-state solution.
CSW’s Response to Fuentes
“If Fuentes could review the times that Israel proposed peace plans respecting the two-state solution and that each of them was rejected by its counterpart, he would turn around and travel back to Santiago. In fact, there is no peace proposal implicit in his presentation nor an indication of who would be a valid interlocutor for a dialogue with Israel,” concluded Gelblung in the statement.
The Conflict and Israel’s Offensive
Israel declared war on the terrorist group Hamas after it carried out a brutal attack on Israeli soil that left around 1,200 dead and 250 kidnapped, 130 of whom remain trapped in the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli offensive aims to eliminate Hamas and rescue the hostages still in Gaza.
