The United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (Uscirf) criticized President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and praised the governments of São Paulo and Goiás, led by Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) and Ronaldo Caiado (União Brasil), respectively, in its report on religious freedom around the world in 2024, released on Tuesday (18).
The comments about Brazil were made in the section of the document that addresses anti-Semitism. Uscirf made reference to the comparison that Lula made between the Holocaust and Israel’s offensive against the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which led the Israeli government to declare the PT member persona non grata.
On the other hand, the commission praised the governments of São Paulo and Goiás for having adhered to the definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), in commitments signed in 2024.
“In February [do ano passado]Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva distorted and inverted the Holocaust, comparing Israel’s military campaign against Hamas to the extermination of Jews by the Nazis in World War II. Despite this misinformation, the states of Goiás and São Paulo have endorsed the Working Definition on Antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance,” stated Uscirf.
This year, Brazil withdrew from the IHRA, which led Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to accuse Lula of having revealed his “true face as a declared anti-Semite and supporter of Hamas”.
Uscirf is an independent and bipartisan agency of the American Congress, whose functions are to monitor, analyze and report on the situation of religious freedom in other countries and make foreign policy recommendations to the president, the Secretary of State and the Legislature with the aim of preventing religious persecution around the world.
In the 96-page document, Uscirf included Cuba and Nicaragua among the countries it recommends be designated as Countries of Special Concern (CPC), paving the way for sanctions due to violations of religious freedom.
The commission made the same recommendation against Iran, Nigeria and Russia, among other countries.
