Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, Amichai Chikli, said on Sunday (5), in a letter sent to federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL) that the investigation against an Israeli soldier is “a disgrace for the Brazilian government”. who was on vacation in Brazil. In the statement, Chikli accuses the Brazilian Judiciary of acting with the support of the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in favor of terrorists.
Vagdani was on vacation on the beach in Morro de São Paulo, Bahia, and after the investigation was opened.
Chikli accuses the HRF, which calls itself in defense of human rights, of being an organization that supports terrorism. “Our ministry’s research has revealed that the organization’s leaders have consistently supported Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups that seek the destruction of Israel and the murder of Israelis,” he wrote.
Then, the minister describes that the organization’s leaders praised members of the two organizations and accuses the HRF of lying about the military. “The fact that the Brazilian Judiciary, under the support of President Lula, embraces individuals with these extremist views – especially as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz approaches – is a disgrace for the Brazilian government,” he said.
Despite criticism and accusations of support, President Lula did not comment on the case of Yuval Vagdani.
The investigation against the soldier in Brazil began with the HRF complaint, which was based on the principle of “universal jurisdiction”, according to which certain crimes are so serious that they violate the very notion of humanity – which allows them to be tried anywhere.
Continues after advertising
The entity put together a dossier to accuse him of war crimes, which includes videos, geolocation data and photographs that show the soldier demolishing houses in a humanitarian aid area.
HRF’s request was presented to the Federal Court, in Brasília, by two Brazilian lawyers hired by the entity.
After the accusations became public, Israel helped the soldier leave the country and go to Argentina.
Continues after advertising
To the Estadãothe Israeli Embassy in Brasília stated that it maintained telephone contact with the soldier about the process for him to return to the country, but highlighted that the decision to leave Brazil was his.
Created by dozens of lawyers and jurists last year, the HRF aims to denounce Israeli soldiers who are in other countries, so that they can be convicted and imprisoned for war crimes.
The actions run in parallel with two larger – and slower – processes against Israel: that of the International Court of Justice, which accuses the State of Israel of committing genocide in Gaza; and that of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Continues after advertising
According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, similar actions against Israeli soldiers were carried out in Europe, where at least three Israeli soldiers who were on vacation in Cyprus, Slovenia and the Netherlands returned to Israel for .
