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Brazilian Foreign Ministry summons Israeli envoy after da Silva declared persona non grata

According to G1 website, the envoy was asked to come to the Foreign Ministry in Rio de Janeiro on Monday

RIO DE JANEIRO, February 20. /TASS/. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira summoned Israeli Ambassador Daniel Zonshine for a conversation after Israel declared Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva persona non grata, the G1 website reports.

According to the report, the envoy was asked to come to the Foreign Ministry in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Previously, Folha de S.Paulo reported that the Brazilian President ordered to recall the envoy to Tel Aviv for consultations.

On February 18, Lula da Silva stated that mass murders of civilians by Israeli bombings of the Gaza Strip are comparable in nature to Hitler’s crimes against Jews. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called de Silva’s statements "grave and disgraceful" and announced that he decided to immediately summon the Brazilian envoy for a "serious reprimand."

On February 19, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared the Brazilian president persona non grata until the latter apologizes and disowns the comparison of Israel to the Nazi Germany. Da Silva’s special representative on international issues Celso Amorim said that the head of state has no intention to apologize.

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