Following Brazilian President Lula da Silva's controversial comparison of Israel's actions against Hamas in Gaza to Adolf Hitler's, sparking a major diplomatic spat, a large São Paulo rally in support of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, on Sunday saw Brazilian and Israeli flags flown side by side.
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Bolsonaro, known for his staunch support of Israel, often showcases the country's flag at rallies, including the one on São Paulo's iconic Paulista Avenue on Sunday, and his sons have been seen in the past wearing IDF and Mossad shirts.
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Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro flies the Israeli flag during Sunday's São Paulo rally
(Photo: AP Photo/Andre Penner)
Brazilian media reported that Israeli flags were displayed at Sunday’s rally "in solidarity with the Jewish community in face of the recent anti-semite attacks by Lula da Silva comparing the war on Hamas to the holocaust."
Bolsonaro supporters gathered to show support for the former Brazilian president as he finds himself embroiled in several investigations that many believe could land him in jail.
Bolsonaro called the rally, which he dubbed a "peaceful gathering in favor of the rule of law and our freedom, families and future," after being targeted by a police raid earlier this month as part of a probe into an alleged coup attempt.
He had his passport confiscated and was accused of editing a draft decree to overturn election results, pressuring military chiefs to join a coup attempt and plotting to jail a Supreme Court justice after his electoral loss to leftist President Lula in 2022.
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Bolsonaro supporters hoist Brazilian and Israeli flags during Sunday's São Paulo rally
(Photo: NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP)
Supporters of Bolsonaro, a populist often likened to former U.S. President Donald Trump, invaded and ransacked Brazil's presidential palace, Supreme Court and Congress calling for a military coup on Jan. 8, 2023, a week after Lula took office.
Allies expect Sunday's demonstration to show that Bolsonaro, who is barred from running for office until 2030 for spreading election falsehoods and faces several other criminal probes, still holds political strength in deeply polarized Brazil.