'There will be no peace in cities if there is no peace in the world,' says Lula on Gaza Strip destruction by Israel
'There will be no peace in cities if there is no peace in the world,' says Lula on Gaza Strip destruction by Israel .      Brazilian president's speech at U20 emphasizes G20 agendas, including hunger eradication and multilateralism President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the Gaza Strip conflict on Sunday during his speech at the Urban 20, an event held alongside the G20 focusing on city financing. The Brazilian leader stated that two-thirds of Palestinian territory has been devastated by Israeli bombings that have persisted for over a year. Alongside the war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict poses a challenge for consensus on its mention in the G20 leaders' final declaration.
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President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the Gaza Strip conflict on Sunday during his speech at the Urban 20, an event held alongside the G20 focusing on city financing. The Brazilian leader stated that two-thirds of Palestinian territory has been devastated by Israeli bombings that have persisted for over a year. Alongside the war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict poses a challenge for consensus on its mention in the G20 leaders' final declaration.

— The Gaza Strip, one of humanity's oldest urban settlements (4000 BC), has had two-thirds of its territory destroyed by indiscriminate bombings. 80% of its health facilities no longer exist. Under its rubble lie over 40,000 lives lost — said Lula, concluding: — There will be no peace in cities if there is no peace in the world."

The war in the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7 following a terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel, which left 1,200 dead and 251 hostages. In response, the Jewish state has carried out a series of bombings, prompted the displacement of over 90% of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza (multiple times), and imposed a total blockade on the enclave, drastically limiting the entry of supplies and worsening the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The Middle East conflict, risking pushing the region into full-scale war, continued to be negotiated on Saturday, alongside the war in Ukraine, invaded by Russia in February 2022. The strategy of leaving these topics for the end of negotiations was devised to prevent the debate from affecting consensus on other topics deemed important for Brazil during its rotating presidency, as happened during Indonesia and India's presidencies in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

There is no guarantee the strategy will succeed.

This is far from the first time the president has mentioned the conflict. Most recently, during the BRICS Summit meeting, Lula said Gaza has become the "largest cemetery of children and women in the world"—a UN report estimated these two groups accounted for 70% of deaths in the Palestinian enclave in the first six months of the conflict.

In his most controversial statement, Lula described the situation in Gaza as "genocide" and compared the deaths of Palestinians to the Holocaust, the extermination of Jews by Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany. The comparison was rejected by the Israeli government, and Lula was declared "persona non grata" in the Jewish state. Israel also summoned the Brazilian ambassador for a public visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, which sparked criticism from the Brazilian government.

Brazil recalled Ambassador Frederico Meyer, and to this day, the position remains vacant.

Multilateralism and hunger eradication

President Lula began his speech by highlighting the importance of cities for the global economy. In Brazil's case, he noted the disparity between the high productivity of some cities and the social inequality they exhibit. He pointed out that the wealth produced does not reach the workers, and how this scenario aligns with the main themes advocated by Brazil during its rotating presidency of the group.

"Fighting inequalities, hunger, and poverty is essential for implementing Sustainable Development Goal 11 on inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities," he stated, referencing the commitments of the UN's 2030 Agenda.

A recent survey released by IBGE showed that the country lags behind eight other summit members in meeting eight objectives.

Lula also mentioned the "crucial role" of cities in combating climate change and the energy transition, another pillar of his leadership. He noted how these areas, as much as they emit carbon dioxide and consume energy, are also the most affected. In addition to the tragic floods that ravaged the country's south, he referenced the droughts in Colombia (President Gustavo Petro declared a "disaster situation") and the recent "floods of the century" that swept through Valencia, Spain, killing over 158 and leaving a trail of destruction.

In this regard, he highlighted the need for greater financing for countries in the Global South and the importance of multilateralism.

— There is a deficit in urban financing that cannot keep up with the pace of disorderly urbanization in many parts of the world, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A New Urban Agenda cannot be built without investment and without adequate multilateral governance — he stated.

The U20 aims to expand city financing to address climate change and encourage the energy transition.
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2024-11-17
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     Brazilian president's speech at U20 emphasizes G20 agendas, including hunger eradication and multilateralism President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressed the Gaza Strip conflict on Sunday during his speech at the Urban 20, an event held alongside the G20 focusing on city financing. The Brazilian leader stated that two-thirds of Palestinian territory has been devastated by Israeli bombings that have persisted for over a year. Alongside the war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict poses a challenge for consensus on its mention in the G20 leaders' final declaration.
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— The Gaza Strip, one of humanity's oldest urban settlements (4000 BC), has had two-thirds of its territory destroyed by indiscriminate bombings. 80% of its health facilities no longer exist. Under its rubble lie over 40,000 lives lost — said Lula, concluding: — There will be no peace in cities if there is no peace in the world."
The war in the Gaza Strip erupted on October 7 following a terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel, which left 1,200 dead and 251 hostages. In response, the Jewish state has carried out a series of bombings, prompted the displacement of over 90% of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza (multiple times), and imposed a total blockade on the enclave, drastically limiting the entry of supplies and worsening the humanitarian crisis in the region.
The Middle East conflict, risking pushing the region into full-scale war, continued to be negotiated on Saturday, alongside the war in Ukraine, invaded by Russia in February 2022. The strategy of leaving these topics for the end of negotiations was devised to prevent the debate from affecting consensus on other topics deemed important for Brazil during its rotating presidency, as happened during Indonesia and India's presidencies in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
There is no guarantee the strategy will succeed.
This is far from the first time the president has mentioned the conflict. Most recently, during the BRICS Summit meeting, Lula said Gaza has become the "largest cemetery of children and women in the world"—a UN report estimated these two groups accounted for 70% of deaths in the Palestinian enclave in the first six months of the conflict.
In his most controversial statement, Lula described the situation in Gaza as "genocide" and compared the deaths of Palestinians to the Holocaust, the extermination of Jews by Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany. The comparison was rejected by the Israeli government, and Lula was declared "persona non grata" in the Jewish state. Israel also summoned the Brazilian ambassador for a public visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, which sparked criticism from the Brazilian government.
Brazil recalled Ambassador Frederico Meyer, and to this day, the position remains vacant.
Multilateralism and hunger eradication
President Lula began his speech by highlighting the importance of cities for the global economy. In Brazil's case, he noted the disparity between the high productivity of some cities and the social inequality they exhibit. He pointed out that the wealth produced does not reach the workers, and how this scenario aligns with the main themes advocated by Brazil during its rotating presidency of the group.
"Fighting inequalities, hunger, and poverty is essential for implementing Sustainable Development Goal 11 on inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities," he stated, referencing the commitments of the UN's 2030 Agenda.
A recent survey released by IBGE showed that the country lags behind eight other summit members in meeting eight objectives.
Lula also mentioned the "crucial role" of cities in combating climate change and the energy transition, another pillar of his leadership. He noted how these areas, as much as they emit carbon dioxide and consume energy, are also the most affected. In addition to the tragic floods that ravaged the country's south, he referenced the droughts in Colombia (President Gustavo Petro declared a "disaster situation") and the recent "floods of the century" that swept through Valencia, Spain, killing over 158 and leaving a trail of destruction.
In this regard, he highlighted the need for greater financing for countries in the Global South and the importance of multilateralism.
— There is a deficit in urban financing that cannot keep up with the pace of disorderly urbanization in many parts of the world, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A New Urban Agenda cannot be built without investment and without adequate multilateral governance — he stated.
The U20 aims to expand city financing to address climate change and encourage the energy transition.
The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.
'There will be no peace in cities if there is no peace in the world,' says Lula on Gaza Strip destruction by Israel