The BRICS get involved in the Gaza conflict

Brazil, one of the founding countries of the BRICS, has just broken off its bilateral relations with Israel. The reason is a stance by Brazilian President Lula da Silva on the war that the Israeli state is conducting in the Gaza Strip.

The war in Gaza causes Israel’s split with the BRICS member 

Brazil, an influential member of the BRICS, has severed the diplomatic relations it had maintained until now with the State of Israel. This is a major shift in global geopolitics, especially as it further accentuates the BRICS’ stance on the Gaza war.

It must be said that this significant diplomatic break between Israel and the BRICS member, which has also recalled its ambassador, did not happen by chance. It came after a statement by the Brazilian leader Lula da Silva on Israeli offensives in the Gaza Strip that ignited the fuse.

Operations which, according to the Brazilian president’s remarks made during a recent summit, are comparable to the Nazi genocide during World War II. The difference, according to him, is that they “have no equivalent at other historical moments.”

These comments caused outrage in Israel and prompted Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to declare Lula da Silva “persona non grata”. This prohibits him from entering the country.

BRICS: Brazil Ends All Diplomatic Relations With Israelhttps://t.co/C3Kkgua5yo

— BRICS (@BRICSinfo) February 19, 2024

Will the BRICS take a stronger stance?

This unprecedented decision marks a significant escalation in the already strained relations between the two countries. This comes in a context where the ongoing conflict in Gaza is already a source of international tension, with leaders all over the world expressing different viewpoints on the subject.

Indeed, Lula da Silva’s remarks are somewhat inflammatory. But fundamentally, they are not new. To recall, South Africa, another leading member of the BRICS, has articulated the same criticisms against the government of Israel.

The country has even gone much further than the Brazilian president’s criticisms that outrage the Israelis. Indeed, seizing the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the rainbow nation, on December 29, 2023, filed a complaint against Israel for the “genocide” it is perpetrating in Gaza.

Given this historically significant precedent, now reinforced by the Brazilian president’s declarations, are we heading towards a more assertive stance by the BRICS in the Gaza conflict? The question is worth asking in the current context of redefining geopolitical power relations.