Brasilia, March 22: A negotiated Middle East peace will only be possible if Iran, the democratically elected Palestinian movement Hamas and the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah are part of the dialogue, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday.
In his weekly “Coffee with the President” broadcast, Lula advocated “dialogue with the Iranians, with the Syrians, with Israel, with the Palestinians, with Hamas and with Hezbollah.”
He said ignoring any of these interlocutors would leave a “void” at the negotiating table.
Lula’s remarks here echoed comments made during travels last week in the Middle East, where he met with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders — the first visit to the region by a Brazilian head of state.
He offered his government’s services in helping to resolve the Middle East impasse, but added that his country would only play role if “invited” to do so.
“Everyone talks about the crisis in the Middle East, but no one is doing anything to fix it. Brazil is trying to do its part,” Lula said.
—Agencies