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Brazil launches ‘war crimes’ investigation into Israeli tourist

Pro-terror NGO files 500-page complaint against Israeli soldier visiting Brazil, including photos and videos from the tourist’s social media accounts as “evidence.”

By World Israel News Staff

A Brazilian court ordered local police to launch an investigation into an Israeli soldier currently visiting the country, after a pro-Palestinian organization claimed that the tourist participated in “war crimes” while serving in the Gaza Strip.

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Brussels-based, pro-Hamas NGO dedicated to pressuring governments around the world to arrest former or current IDF soldiers visiting their territories, recently filed the 500-page long complaint with a Brazilian court.

As part of his military service, the soldier was allegedly involved in destroying civilian homes in the Strip, which the HRF charged was tantamount to promoting “genocide.”

“This is not a case of distant command,” said Maira Pinheiro, HRF’s lead lawyer for the Brazil case, in a media statement.

“This individual actively contributed to the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and his own statements and behavior clearly align with the genocidal objectives in Gaza.”

HRF Chairman Dyab Abou Jahjah hailed the court’s decision to investigate the tourist, saying it marked a “historic moment.”

The Brazil decision appears to be the first time that a Rome Statute signatory has enforced the measures locally against an Israeli.

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According to a report from Hebrew-language outlet Mako, the HRF used photos and videos posted by the soldier on their social media accounts as evidence in the complaint.

In December, the HRF published the full names and photographs of three IDF soldiers who traveled to the Netherlands, demanding that the Dutch government arrest them due to their purported complicity in alleged “war crimes” in the Gaza Strip.

The HRF argues that IDF soldiers’ mere presence in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war is sufficient grounds for their arrests, pointing to the ICC warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.