Ralph is joined by labor activist Gene Bruskin to discuss how labor leaders are joining with Progressive lawmakers to demand a ceasefire in Gaza, and the true meaning of solidarity. Then Ralph welcomes Rick Perlstein— historian, chronicler of American conservativism, and author of
Thanks in part to what you've been talking about for years, our little group in Carbondale, CO got the Glenwood Springs Town Council to unanimously pass a ceasefire resolution.
It's symbolic, we know that. But it's something.
As I've said in other comments, the group attended the Aspen City Council meeting two nights prior. One city council member turned their back on us. The other might as well have -- he was on his phone the whole time. Aspen claims to be a cultural and liberal hub? Not so much.
Organizing and volunteering for something isn't easy - in fact it's hard. My experience has been that getting in touch with people for advice or what not is just about impossible. I've tried a couple times (I wrote emails to you) and failed miserably.
Here's the link to the story on our group's substack page:
Gene Bruskin says that supporting Joe Biden is a given in the 2024 election, and I paraphrase here. Why? Trump is the ultimate evil: Perhaps? But the problem in moving the politcal elite to stop Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip is that it’s a bipartisan deal. The power elite don’t give a damn and their almost universal support for the weapons makers and Israeli agresssion tells much. I don’t think it’s a case of the dog (Israel) wagging the tail (of the US) in terms the ongoing genocide. It’s the money and it’s another case of following the money that leads to extreme greed and power. They don’t care about thousands of years on the thought of what is just in war that extends from ancient Babylonia up through the ages to today. It doesn’t matter to the elite in power.
Rick Perlstein gives a thorough account on the fascist bent of the MAGA crowd. History doesn’t matter to these people, moral behavior doesn’t matter, and empathy for the other certainly doesn’t matter. The Democrats, through decades of neglect of workers interests, has made quite a lot of space for the politics of anger and resentment to become the calling card of Trump et al. Globalization, deindustrialization, mass incarceration, and the gutting of social programs has done the rest.
On DeSantis' comments: I live about 7 miles from the Santa Fe, NM airport and see all the planes that come in from the SW and the SE; I haven't seen one Max Boeing fly in for years.
OK Ralph Nader Radio Hour, HOW ARE We to AVERT passage of UnConstitutional “Law” such as the ReThugliCon ZIONIST PROTECTED CLASS Bill recently passed by the House of Representatives❓WHY is it an Anti-democracy scandal for Trump to permit U.S. White Nationalists Free Speech and NOT an Anti-democracy HORROR to LEGISLATE A PROTECTED CLASS for GENOCIDAL Anti-Mosaic Law ZIONIST NATIONALISM and their RELENTLESS, U.S. POLICY INTERFERENCE on behalf of the PALESTINIAN DEATH CAMP TERRORIST NATION of Israel❓ If “A law repugnant to the constitution is void.” John Marshall must be rioting in the HereAfter. That reminds me, what reliable watchdog authorities do we have to turn to on the matter of holding SCOTUS Justices Accountable to the Constitution vs. Pimping-Put democracy to the Highest Criminally Depraved Bidders, as the JerseyMafiaPrincess has with CONgress❓
This is relevant given comments made by both guests, but it is especially relevant given what was said by Mr. Bruskin. Let me cite some comments made by President Biden on Tuesday, February 13, 2024:
“I want to be clear about something, because I know it’s important to the American people: While this bill sends military equipment to Ukraine, it spends the money right here in the United States of America in places like Arizona, where the Patriot missiles are built; and Alabama, where the Javelin missiles are built; and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas, where artillery shells are made.
And the way it works is we supply Ukraine with military equipment from our stockpiles, and then we spend our money replenishing those stockpiles so our military has access to them — stockpiles that are made right here in America by American workers. That not only supports American jobs and American communities, it allows us to invest in maintaining and strengthening our own defense manufacturing capacity.”
These are not new comments from Biden and from US Presidents in general. These are very important comments and sentiments which need to be addressed from a general labor perspective. The US government is selling our military misadventures as being jobs programs which are good for the US economy. In many ways, this sentiment isn’t far-fetched, military spending does create many jobs all over the country both in terms of white-collar engineering jobs and blue-collar manufacturing jobs often filled by minority workers in economically depressed areas. The jobs pay well and, politically, it would be very dangerous for any politician to threaten these jobs without a good alternative plan. Even if people would rather be making solar panels than bullets, few people, their families, and communities would be willing to trade in economic security for economic insecurity by voting their jobs away without a good alternative economic plan.
With that in mind, the labor movement, and everyone really, needs to push for demilitarization which transitions the military industry into a flexible nationalized engineering and manufacturing arm that produces materials for national and international benefit, such as meeting our public infrastructure needs, and which can be utilized for defense purposes on an as-needed basis.
The implication made by Mr. Nader that reductions in military spending opens up opportunities for healthcare and other purposes is, at least directly, false. The US can spend on both the military industry and for things like healthcare from a budgetary perspective. There could well be resource constraints with having such a large military industry as we have now though and that is a legitimate economic concern, not the direct ability to fund appropriations, but the usual, and false, narrative is that we cannot fund healthcare and infrastructure because of militarization.
Politically and functionally, however, we cannot just eliminate the current spending on militarization. John Kenneth Galbraith was very clear on this point. Over time, with national priorities, we can, and should, transform the labor force towards healthcare and other necessary and popular priorities, but for the people working in military engineering and manufacturing right now, they need to be able to make a seamless, expedient, and productive transition to demilitarized and nationalized industry and federal government spending can provide this just transition. This, of course, ensures and further strengthens economic security for labor without need for career changes, relocations, re-training, and so forth.
Biden’s comments which imply that global warfare, and all the pollution which comes from armed conflict, are necessary to provide jobs in the United States are abhorrent and economically false. Many people will agree with the abhorrent part, but the public is not-so-aware of the economic ramifications of matters and this is what causes reform efforts to stall before they even get started. The labor movement needs to work on their messaging on this front or else they risk alienating their membership because the public may wrongly think that demilitarization will lead to economic and way-of-life insecurity.
Regarding the huge number of working class Americans who can't seem to stop shooting themselves in the foot every time they vote, I'm reminded of the insightful George Carlin piece from 2006, "Dumb Americans," which if anything is even more on-point 18 years later. It closes with the following:
"Good, honest, hard-working people continue… these are people of modest means. Continue to elect these rich cocksuckers who don’t give a fuck about them. THEY DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU! THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU. AT ALL. AT ALL. AT ALL! And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. That’s what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes every day. Because the owners of this country know the truth… It’s called the American dream. Because you have to be asleep to believe it."
There was a time when I got head spins from drinking too much - age 66, I'm experiencing head spins from the chaos, corruption, brutality, censorship, lies, stealing, cheating, and my taxes funding it all!
Our group is causing quite the stir in Glenwood Springs and up valley to Aspen. The Mayor of Glenwood has been getting flooded with calls from Zionists. She called us, said because of the flack she's getting she regrets approving our resolution. My guess is that AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby has found us.
Can anyone here please point us to sources to refute the most popular talking points? The war is all Hamas's fault, the people of Gaza support Hamas, etc.
Our group is working on LTE's to fight back. But we all have jobs. If there's a source that we can pull from to get our LTE's out faster, please let us know.
Yesterday, #HillaryClinton was featured as a speaker at The World Forum organized by Cinema for Peace in Berlin.
During her speech, activists united to denounce violations of International Law and advocate for Human Rights of #Palestinians.
However, instead of addressing their concerns, Clinton responded with dismissive laughter as activists encountered physical and verbal aggression from event organizers.
Demonstrating a lack of awareness regarding the death toll in #Gaza, Clinton callously remarked, „Of course I’m not shocked because that’s what happens in war.“
Listening right now to this great podcast and your wonderful informative guest, Rick Perlstein. This segment hits home for me. A long friend of mine who is an avid trumper called me yesterday and wanted to see how I was doing. The conversation was fine but he always brings up some way to state his views of trump, big oil, anti rebates for electric vehicles, home improvement, etc. I pointed out the huge tax subsidies for big oil, coal and corporations not paying their fair share of taxes. This all went over him like the wind. Then he starts spouting out disinformation about President Biden and of course I counter it with trumps 91 felonies, 2 civil suits that he just lost and the Jan 6th Insurrection. Oh and how trump wants to be a dictator on day 1 if elected. He said he has never heard of any of this and that trump is allowed to fight back on his convictions and upcoming trials. This is a person who consumes all his mis/disinformaton from Fox News and Newsmax. None of this is ever shown on these right wing media outlets. We finally had to change the conversation to sports because he was just yelling at me and then not letting me get a word in over the phone. Although he felt he did a good thing by calling me as a friend I was left with very angry and disappointing feelings. I really don't want to talk to him again or see him again because I know this conversation will lead to more yelling over his love for trump and hatred of Biden and the Democrats. I have known this friend since grade school and now our friendship is gone due to his consumption of false right wind media. Oh he is a retired Maryland State Trooper which worries me even more because I wonder how many speeding and other tickets he gave to minorities and people of color. Very disturbing...
If Israel keeps this up, 'antisemitic' will soon mean 'anti-genocide.'
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday (Feb 19th) declared that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is unwelcome in Israel until he retracts his remarks comparing the campaign against Hamas in Gaza to the Nazi genocide.
Summoning Brazil's ambassador on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's instructions, Katz emphasised the seriousness of Lula's comments. Labelling them as a "serious antisemitic attack" he said that the Brazilian leader is "persona non grata" until he takes back the remark.
As per a statement from his office, he has instructed the message to be conveyed to Lula through Brazil's ambassador, stating, "We will not forget nor forgive. It is a serious antisemitic attack. In my name and the name of the citizens of Israel - tell President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he takes it back."
What Lula said
The Brazilian President on Sunday (Feb 18th) accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Further drawing a comparison between Israeli military actions and Adolf Hitler's campaign to exterminate the Jewish people, he said, "It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children."
While attending an African Union summit, Lula told reporters that what was happening in the Gaza Strip "isn't a war, it's a genocide".
"What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews," he said.
'Shameful and grave' comments
Reacting to Lula's remarks, Netanyahu deemed them as "shameful and grave", and said that his government had called in Brazil's ambassador in protest.
In a statement, he said that the Brazilian President's comments were "a trivialisation of the Holocaust and an attempt to attack the Jewish people and the right of Israel to self-defence. Drawing comparisons between Israel and the Nazis and Hitler is to cross a red line".
"Israel is fighting to defend itself and ensure its future until total victory, and it is doing that while upholding international law," he added.
Brazilian President Lula should be proud of having the decency of calling out Israel for its horrific and depraved slaughter of millions of innocent Gazans.
Let Israel slander Brazil and South Africa for all the good it will do it. Spain and Ireland are right behind them getting ready to pass legislation to boycott Israel. As the slaughter and starvation get worse, more countries will do the same.
I hope that Israel in one hissy fit after another cuts itself off from the human race.
The best thing that could happen is that no one does business with Israel until all their war criminals are arrested and convicted and imprisoned. And that includes Netanyahu.
Of course, before that happens, all those war criminals will come here and be protected by our gutless and fawning politicians.
From Israeli TV:
Israeli forces are building a fortified highway cutting Gaza into two
Howdy Ralph and all,
Thanks in part to what you've been talking about for years, our little group in Carbondale, CO got the Glenwood Springs Town Council to unanimously pass a ceasefire resolution.
It's symbolic, we know that. But it's something.
As I've said in other comments, the group attended the Aspen City Council meeting two nights prior. One city council member turned their back on us. The other might as well have -- he was on his phone the whole time. Aspen claims to be a cultural and liberal hub? Not so much.
Organizing and volunteering for something isn't easy - in fact it's hard. My experience has been that getting in touch with people for advice or what not is just about impossible. I've tried a couple times (I wrote emails to you) and failed miserably.
Here's the link to the story on our group's substack page:
https://ceasefirenowrfv.substack.com/p/breaking-news-glenwood-springs-passes
Anyway, our hope is that others will form citizen groups and take action as well.
Thanks again,
Free Palestine!
Gene Bruskin says that supporting Joe Biden is a given in the 2024 election, and I paraphrase here. Why? Trump is the ultimate evil: Perhaps? But the problem in moving the politcal elite to stop Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip is that it’s a bipartisan deal. The power elite don’t give a damn and their almost universal support for the weapons makers and Israeli agresssion tells much. I don’t think it’s a case of the dog (Israel) wagging the tail (of the US) in terms the ongoing genocide. It’s the money and it’s another case of following the money that leads to extreme greed and power. They don’t care about thousands of years on the thought of what is just in war that extends from ancient Babylonia up through the ages to today. It doesn’t matter to the elite in power.
Rick Perlstein gives a thorough account on the fascist bent of the MAGA crowd. History doesn’t matter to these people, moral behavior doesn’t matter, and empathy for the other certainly doesn’t matter. The Democrats, through decades of neglect of workers interests, has made quite a lot of space for the politics of anger and resentment to become the calling card of Trump et al. Globalization, deindustrialization, mass incarceration, and the gutting of social programs has done the rest.
On DeSantis' comments: I live about 7 miles from the Santa Fe, NM airport and see all the planes that come in from the SW and the SE; I haven't seen one Max Boeing fly in for years.
Thanks 4 the thumbs up - I've heard boycotts are sending the "vocal minority" message right to the high rise CEO desk tops.
boycott.thewitness.news A-Z "businesses as usual" who support the Israel Defense Forces.
OK Ralph Nader Radio Hour, HOW ARE We to AVERT passage of UnConstitutional “Law” such as the ReThugliCon ZIONIST PROTECTED CLASS Bill recently passed by the House of Representatives❓WHY is it an Anti-democracy scandal for Trump to permit U.S. White Nationalists Free Speech and NOT an Anti-democracy HORROR to LEGISLATE A PROTECTED CLASS for GENOCIDAL Anti-Mosaic Law ZIONIST NATIONALISM and their RELENTLESS, U.S. POLICY INTERFERENCE on behalf of the PALESTINIAN DEATH CAMP TERRORIST NATION of Israel❓ If “A law repugnant to the constitution is void.” John Marshall must be rioting in the HereAfter. That reminds me, what reliable watchdog authorities do we have to turn to on the matter of holding SCOTUS Justices Accountable to the Constitution vs. Pimping-Put democracy to the Highest Criminally Depraved Bidders, as the JerseyMafiaPrincess has with CONgress❓
Is NO ONE Opposed to the Senate’s Ukraine Funding Bill b/c it BANS FUNDING TO UNRWA❓ “US sneaks UNRWA defunding into Israel, Ukraine / ISRAEL / Taiwan weapons aid bill” https://www.newarab.com/news/us-sneaks-unrwa-defunding-israel-ukraine-arms-aid-bill
Listened twice. Gotta go Labor Unions - stop Congress their $$$ collective forces of evil.
This is relevant given comments made by both guests, but it is especially relevant given what was said by Mr. Bruskin. Let me cite some comments made by President Biden on Tuesday, February 13, 2024:
“I want to be clear about something, because I know it’s important to the American people: While this bill sends military equipment to Ukraine, it spends the money right here in the United States of America in places like Arizona, where the Patriot missiles are built; and Alabama, where the Javelin missiles are built; and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas, where artillery shells are made.
And the way it works is we supply Ukraine with military equipment from our stockpiles, and then we spend our money replenishing those stockpiles so our military has access to them — stockpiles that are made right here in America by American workers. That not only supports American jobs and American communities, it allows us to invest in maintaining and strengthening our own defense manufacturing capacity.”
Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/02/13/remarks-by-president-biden-on-senate-passage-of-the-bipartisan-supplemental-agreement/
These are not new comments from Biden and from US Presidents in general. These are very important comments and sentiments which need to be addressed from a general labor perspective. The US government is selling our military misadventures as being jobs programs which are good for the US economy. In many ways, this sentiment isn’t far-fetched, military spending does create many jobs all over the country both in terms of white-collar engineering jobs and blue-collar manufacturing jobs often filled by minority workers in economically depressed areas. The jobs pay well and, politically, it would be very dangerous for any politician to threaten these jobs without a good alternative plan. Even if people would rather be making solar panels than bullets, few people, their families, and communities would be willing to trade in economic security for economic insecurity by voting their jobs away without a good alternative economic plan.
With that in mind, the labor movement, and everyone really, needs to push for demilitarization which transitions the military industry into a flexible nationalized engineering and manufacturing arm that produces materials for national and international benefit, such as meeting our public infrastructure needs, and which can be utilized for defense purposes on an as-needed basis.
The implication made by Mr. Nader that reductions in military spending opens up opportunities for healthcare and other purposes is, at least directly, false. The US can spend on both the military industry and for things like healthcare from a budgetary perspective. There could well be resource constraints with having such a large military industry as we have now though and that is a legitimate economic concern, not the direct ability to fund appropriations, but the usual, and false, narrative is that we cannot fund healthcare and infrastructure because of militarization.
Politically and functionally, however, we cannot just eliminate the current spending on militarization. John Kenneth Galbraith was very clear on this point. Over time, with national priorities, we can, and should, transform the labor force towards healthcare and other necessary and popular priorities, but for the people working in military engineering and manufacturing right now, they need to be able to make a seamless, expedient, and productive transition to demilitarized and nationalized industry and federal government spending can provide this just transition. This, of course, ensures and further strengthens economic security for labor without need for career changes, relocations, re-training, and so forth.
Biden’s comments which imply that global warfare, and all the pollution which comes from armed conflict, are necessary to provide jobs in the United States are abhorrent and economically false. Many people will agree with the abhorrent part, but the public is not-so-aware of the economic ramifications of matters and this is what causes reform efforts to stall before they even get started. The labor movement needs to work on their messaging on this front or else they risk alienating their membership because the public may wrongly think that demilitarization will lead to economic and way-of-life insecurity.
Regarding the huge number of working class Americans who can't seem to stop shooting themselves in the foot every time they vote, I'm reminded of the insightful George Carlin piece from 2006, "Dumb Americans," which if anything is even more on-point 18 years later. It closes with the following:
"Good, honest, hard-working people continue… these are people of modest means. Continue to elect these rich cocksuckers who don’t give a fuck about them. THEY DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU! THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU. AT ALL. AT ALL. AT ALL! And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care. That’s what the owners count on. The fact that Americans will probably remain willfully ignorant of the big red, white and blue dick that’s being jammed up their assholes every day. Because the owners of this country know the truth… It’s called the American dream. Because you have to be asleep to believe it."
There was a time when I got head spins from drinking too much - age 66, I'm experiencing head spins from the chaos, corruption, brutality, censorship, lies, stealing, cheating, and my taxes funding it all!
gm all,
Our group is causing quite the stir in Glenwood Springs and up valley to Aspen. The Mayor of Glenwood has been getting flooded with calls from Zionists. She called us, said because of the flack she's getting she regrets approving our resolution. My guess is that AIPAC and the Israeli Lobby has found us.
https://www.postindependent.com/opinion/wednesday-letters-ceasefire-resolution-criticism-spring-valley-development/
Can anyone here please point us to sources to refute the most popular talking points? The war is all Hamas's fault, the people of Gaza support Hamas, etc.
Our group is working on LTE's to fight back. But we all have jobs. If there's a source that we can pull from to get our LTE's out faster, please let us know.
Thanks,
At Berlin Peace Meeting, Hillary Clinton said, "This is what happens in war" re: Gazan deaths.
Great video that shows multiple courageous people getting up and screaming at her that she is a "war criminal."
https://twitter.com/IkaFerrerGotic/status/1759869770923487643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1759869770923487643%7Ctwgr%5Ee4169fe32a207721ca21d23642654c13a39ce641%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Factualidad.rt.com%2Factualidad%2F499830-hillary-clinton-decir-no-sorprendida-numero-victimas-gaza
Yesterday, #HillaryClinton was featured as a speaker at The World Forum organized by Cinema for Peace in Berlin.
During her speech, activists united to denounce violations of International Law and advocate for Human Rights of #Palestinians.
However, instead of addressing their concerns, Clinton responded with dismissive laughter as activists encountered physical and verbal aggression from event organizers.
Demonstrating a lack of awareness regarding the death toll in #Gaza, Clinton callously remarked, „Of course I’m not shocked because that’s what happens in war.“
37:00 mins in:
"Hi-Tech Factories"?!?!
Wonder if RNRH could have LaDuke back on for an indigenous perspective?
Howdy all.
We’ve managed to upset people in Aspen.
Here’s a piece some former FBI guy wrote the other day:
https://www.aspendailynews.com/opinion/doebler-don-t-fall-prey-to-the-terrorist-playbook/article_00011a4a-cd3c-11ee-91df-27092e30e6a1.html#ath
And here’s another:
https://www.aspendailynews.com/opinion/ireland-turn-around-put-down-the-phone-listen-up/article_12c6b62a-cef0-11ee-8aae-13ae0e682d4b.html#ath
Listening right now to this great podcast and your wonderful informative guest, Rick Perlstein. This segment hits home for me. A long friend of mine who is an avid trumper called me yesterday and wanted to see how I was doing. The conversation was fine but he always brings up some way to state his views of trump, big oil, anti rebates for electric vehicles, home improvement, etc. I pointed out the huge tax subsidies for big oil, coal and corporations not paying their fair share of taxes. This all went over him like the wind. Then he starts spouting out disinformation about President Biden and of course I counter it with trumps 91 felonies, 2 civil suits that he just lost and the Jan 6th Insurrection. Oh and how trump wants to be a dictator on day 1 if elected. He said he has never heard of any of this and that trump is allowed to fight back on his convictions and upcoming trials. This is a person who consumes all his mis/disinformaton from Fox News and Newsmax. None of this is ever shown on these right wing media outlets. We finally had to change the conversation to sports because he was just yelling at me and then not letting me get a word in over the phone. Although he felt he did a good thing by calling me as a friend I was left with very angry and disappointing feelings. I really don't want to talk to him again or see him again because I know this conversation will lead to more yelling over his love for trump and hatred of Biden and the Democrats. I have known this friend since grade school and now our friendship is gone due to his consumption of false right wind media. Oh he is a retired Maryland State Trooper which worries me even more because I wonder how many speeding and other tickets he gave to minorities and people of color. Very disturbing...
Thanks for the program. Many rights groups have been calling out the Zionist Israelis for their genocide, as well as very few national leaders.
Israel declares Brazilian President Lula 'persona non grata' over 'antisemitic' comments
https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-declares-brazilian-president-lula-persona-non-grata-over-antisemitic-comments-691703
If Israel keeps this up, 'antisemitic' will soon mean 'anti-genocide.'
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Monday (Feb 19th) declared that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is unwelcome in Israel until he retracts his remarks comparing the campaign against Hamas in Gaza to the Nazi genocide.
Summoning Brazil's ambassador on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's instructions, Katz emphasised the seriousness of Lula's comments. Labelling them as a "serious antisemitic attack" he said that the Brazilian leader is "persona non grata" until he takes back the remark.
As per a statement from his office, he has instructed the message to be conveyed to Lula through Brazil's ambassador, stating, "We will not forget nor forgive. It is a serious antisemitic attack. In my name and the name of the citizens of Israel - tell President Lula that he is persona non grata in Israel until he takes it back."
What Lula said
The Brazilian President on Sunday (Feb 18th) accused Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Further drawing a comparison between Israeli military actions and Adolf Hitler's campaign to exterminate the Jewish people, he said, "It's not a war of soldiers against soldiers. It's a war between a highly prepared army and women and children."
While attending an African Union summit, Lula told reporters that what was happening in the Gaza Strip "isn't a war, it's a genocide".
"What's happening in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian people hasn't happened at any other moment in history. Actually, it has happened: when Hitler decided to kill the Jews," he said.
'Shameful and grave' comments
Reacting to Lula's remarks, Netanyahu deemed them as "shameful and grave", and said that his government had called in Brazil's ambassador in protest.
In a statement, he said that the Brazilian President's comments were "a trivialisation of the Holocaust and an attempt to attack the Jewish people and the right of Israel to self-defence. Drawing comparisons between Israel and the Nazis and Hitler is to cross a red line".
"Israel is fighting to defend itself and ensure its future until total victory, and it is doing that while upholding international law," he added.
Brazilian President Lula should be proud of having the decency of calling out Israel for its horrific and depraved slaughter of millions of innocent Gazans.
Let Israel slander Brazil and South Africa for all the good it will do it. Spain and Ireland are right behind them getting ready to pass legislation to boycott Israel. As the slaughter and starvation get worse, more countries will do the same.
I hope that Israel in one hissy fit after another cuts itself off from the human race.
The best thing that could happen is that no one does business with Israel until all their war criminals are arrested and convicted and imprisoned. And that includes Netanyahu.
Of course, before that happens, all those war criminals will come here and be protected by our gutless and fawning politicians.
From Israeli TV:
Israeli forces are building a fortified highway cutting Gaza into two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haS3EJk4VSg&ab_channel=DemocracyNow%21