Brazilian President Lula withdraws ambassador to Israel

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva withdrew Brazilian ambassador to Israel Frederico Meyer from his post amid a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

Earlier this year, Lula made remarks comparing Israel's war on Gaza to the Holocaust, which caused Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to summon Meyer for a public reprimand at the National Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

Meyer will now serve as Brazil's special representative to the UN and a new Brazilian ambassador to Israel is set to be announced in due course, Brazil's foreign relations ministry said in a statement.