JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israel announced late Monday that it is downgrading diplomatic relations with Brazil and declaring President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva “persona non grata” following Brasilia's refusal to approve the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement carried by the state broadcaster KAN that Brazilian authorities had rejected the accreditation of Gali Dagan as Israel’s new envoy to Brazil.

The ministry also said that Israel has declared Lula “persona non grata,” noting that bilateral relations will now be conducted at a lower diplomatic level.

Relations between the two countries had been witnessing increasing tensions even before the genocidal war that Israel has been waging on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli broadcaster noted that Israel had enjoyed good relations with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, but ties deteriorated under Lula, known for his critical stance toward Israel.

In May 2024, Lula recalled his ambassador from Tel Aviv for “consultations” following the deterioration of relations between the two countries, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

In February of that year, Lula accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, going so far as to compare its actions to the extermination of the Jewish people by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis during World War II.

During a visit to Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, he told reporters that what is happening in the Gaza Strip is not a “war,” but a “genocide.”

“It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children. What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” he added.

Israel has killed more than 62,700 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.