Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has refused to visit the grave of
Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism.
In response to the rebuff, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman decided to boycott the Brazilian president’s visit.
On Monday, Lieberman also criticized Lula’s close ties with Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his plan to visit Tehran in the near
future.
Lula described his Middle East tour, which includes scheduled visits
to the occupied West Bank and Jordan, as “a mission of peace.”
“We are very proud that we can say Latin America and the Caribbean
have no nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction… We would like to
serve as an example for other regions of the world,” he added.
In a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday, Lula said efforts
should be made to turn the Middle East into a nuclear weapons-free zone.
The Brazilian president also spoke of his vision for peace between
Israel and its neighbors.
Earlier, in a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and other
officials in Jerusalem al-Quds, Lula said, “Mr. President Peres, I dream
of the day when the Middle East will have peace so that all peoples can
achieve prosperity.”
Brazil has been trying to take a higher … >>>
