RIO DE JANEIRO - The diplomatic spat between Brazil and Israel entered a third day on Feb 20, with Brazil’s foreign minister calling Israel’s response to comments made by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the Gaza Strip “unacceptable” and “untruthful”.

After Mr Lula on Feb 18 compared Israel’s war on Gaza with Hitler’s treatment of Jews, Israel said on Feb 19 that Mr Lula is not welcome in the Middle Eastern country until he takes back the comments.

On Feb 20, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira hit back at Israel. “For a foreign ministry to address a head of state from a friendly country in this way is unusual and revolting,” he said at the G-20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“It is a shameful page in the history of Israel’s diplomacy,” Mr Vieira said, adding that Israel tries to create a smokescreen to cover up what is happening in Gaza.

The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Vieira’s remarks outside of business hours.

Brazil said it does not intend to retract Mr Lula’s comments.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Feb 19 that Israel “will not forget nor forgive”, calling Mr Lula’s comments “a serious anti-Semitic attack” and saying that the Brazilian President is “persona non grata in Israel until he takes it back”. REUTERS