Brazil retreats from IHRA and strengthens support for the action against Israel in The Hague

The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced, on the 18th, the withdrawal of Brazil from the International Alliance for Holocaust Memory (IHRA), intergovernmental organization created in the 1990s focusing on the preservation of the holocaust’s memory and the fight against anti -Semitism. The decision, confirmed by Itamaraty sources, was justified by the “hasty” way in which the country joined the alliance, even during the government of Jair Bolsonaro, and the existence of legal and financial obligations not discussed internally.

Diplomacy consistent with multilateralism

Five days after announcing the departure of IHRA, Brazil officialized its entry as an interested party in the process opened by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (CIJ), which accuses Tel Aviv de genocide in the Gaza Strip. According to Itamaraty, there is no direct relationship between the two movements, but both reflect a diplomatic realignment that prioritizes the multilateral mechanisms of international law against human rights violations.

“Brazil considers that there is no room for moral ambiguity or political omission. Impunity undermines international legality and compromises the credibility of the multilateral system,” Itamaraty said in a statement.

Criticism of IHRA and controversies in the definition of anti -Semitism

IHRA is the target of criticism from progressive Jewish organizations and human rights groups, which denounce the political use of the definition of anti -Semitism adopted by the alliance to curb legitimate criticism of the State of Israel. In 2023, entities such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’TSelem asked the UN to reject such a definition, accusing it of confusing anti-Semitism with critical positions to Zionism and the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Since the war began by Israel in Gaza in 2023, relations between the two countries have deteriorated. In February 2024, after Lula compared Israeli actions to the Holocaust, the Brazilian president was declared persona non grata and the Brazilian ambassador was removed from Tel Aviv. The diplomatic crisis remains unresolved, with Brazil refusing to accept Israel’s new nominee to the embassy in Brasilia.

At the same time, Israel’s isolation grows on the international scene. The Brazilian entrance in the process in The Hague coincides with the announcement of the French President Emmanuel Macron that he will recognize the state of Palestine, gesture gestured by Itamaraty. The decision reaffirms Brazil’s commitment to a two -state solution and with the responsibility for war crimes.