Insider

Blinken meets with Lula following Israel controversy

Many photos of Antony Blinken’s visit to Brazil’s presidential palace featured the image of a crucifix in the background. Some saw this as a jab at Israel. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said he had a “very good meeting” with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the presidential palace.

Mr. Blinken visited Brasília ahead of the G20 ministerial summit in Rio de Janeiro, which starts this afternoon. He also paid a visit to the U.S. Embassy before departing to Rio.

Speaking briefly to reporters after the meeting, he said he was “grateful” to Lula for his time, and that “the U.S. and Brazil are doing so many important things together.”

In a statement, Brazil’s federal government said Mr. Blinken congratulated Brazil for approving a landmark tax reform in December and for the “recovery of social policies and fiscal responsibility.” The secretary also said the U.S. is considering a new contribution to the Amazon Fund.

Mr. Blinken left the presidential palace when reporters asked whether the situation in Gaza was discussed during the meeting.

Last Sunday, during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, President Lula compared Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza to “when Hitler decided to kill the Jews,” leading to an escalating diplomatic conflict between Brazil and Israel.

Yesterday, Brazil joined other countries in asking judges at the International Court of Justice to declare Israel’s occupation of Palestine illegal.

Earlier this week, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed the U.S.’s reservations with Brazil’s stand. “Obviously, we disagree with those comments,” he said. “We have been very clear that we do not believe that genocide has occurred in Gaza.”

Brazil’s government published brief video footage of the meeting between Lula and Mr. Blinken — but with no sound.