Brazil's IHRA Exit Amid ICJ Case Support Against Israel Claims

In a statement released on Wednesday (July 24), Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Brazil has withdrawn from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), where it has held observer status since 2021. The Brazilian Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty) has recently confirmed the report, although Brazil still appears as a member in IHRA's website.

“The decision by Brazil to join the legal offensive against Israel at the ICJ while simultaneously withdrawing from the IHRA represents a profound moral failure,” Israel's Foreign Ministry posted on X (formerly Twitter). “At a time when Israel is fighting for its very existence, turning against the Jewish state and abandoning the global consensus against antisemitism is both reckless and shameful.”

The criticism comes after Brazil announced its intention on Tuesday (July 22) to formally participate in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), initiated by South Africa over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Fernando Lottenberg, the Organization of American States’ Commissioner for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, also expressed concern, calling Brazil’s alleged withdrawal from the IHRA “a mistake.”

“Criticism of the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza is valid and diplomatic disagreements can exist,” Lottenberg said on X. “But those issues have no bearing on the IHRA’s vital work.” He added that Brazil hosts the second-largest Jewish community in Latin America and that joining the IHRA demonstrated a commitment to Holocaust education and the fight against antisemitism.

Despite being contacted, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry has yet to issue an official direct statement about the matter. Until this moment, the only published information is that one of the reasons for the Brazilian's withdrawal are supposed obligations that the country should have fulfilled with the alliance, which would involve financial resources.

The IHRA

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) is an intergovernmental organization with 35 Member Countries and 8 Observer Countries. Founded in 1998 by former Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, the organization addresses issues related to the Holocaust and genocide of the Roma.

Their mission is to unite governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance, and research worldwide and uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration and the 2020 IHRA Ministerial Declaration.