Brazil must not offer holidays to those who committed crimes in Gaza

The arrival of Israeli soldiers and former soldiers at Brazilian holiday destinations demands a question: does accountability for crimes disappear when military uniforms are exchanged for beachwear?

Brazil cannot welcome as ordinary visitors people against whom there is credible evidence of involvement in atrocities without investigating those suspicions.

As I have repeatedly argued, the genocide in Gaza is part of the history of Zionist settler colonialism. The Nakba, which uprooted more than 750,000 Palestinians in 1948, never ended. It continues through land dispossession, forced displacement and the denial of self-determination.

The destruction of Gaza deepens this process of expulsion and the attempt to eliminate the Palestinian presence.

In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed genocide in Gaza. It linked this violence to decades of occupation and repression, under an ideology of removing and replacing the Palestinian population. Accountability for these crimes cannot end at the battlefield’s edge.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice found Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful and reaffirmed the illegality of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. It identified annexation and the obstruction of self-determination as elements of that unlawful presence.

Service in the Israeli armed forces constitutes an indication of criminal responsibility for the genocide in Gaza. Presenting oneself as a tourist does not erase possible crimes. Brazil must investigate each case. Brazilian hospitality cannot serve as a shield against scrutiny of atrocities committed against Palestinians.

In Bahia, allegations of discrimination, violence and other offences involving Israeli visitors in Itacaré, Salvador and Morro de São Paulo demand urgent answers.

The reported incidents include sexual harassment, physical violence against residents, racism, xenophobia and an attempt to erase a mural expressing solidarity with Palestine, created by residents of Itacaré.

In a video published on 10 November, Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues announced coordination with federal ministries and an action plan, but also defended Itacaré’s tourism industry against what he described as unfair treatment. Yet one question remained unanswered: how would the allegations be addressed and residents protected?

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Protecting jobs is necessary. Subordinating the seriousness of the allegations to the destination’s reputation would be an unacceptable political choice. Workers in hotels, bars and restaurants need income, dignity and safety. Their rights cannot depend on silence in the face of racist and abusive visitors.

Mayor Nego de Saronga promised accountability and protection for residents and women. He must demonstrate how these commitments will be fulfilled.

The governor and mayor, both members of the Workers’ Party (PT), must act consistently with the international solidarity their party professes. Defending Palestinian rights requires confronting economic interests when they press for the normalisation of what is happening.

We must ask what concrete measures accompany official statements, how complainants will be protected and when the public will learn the results of the investigations.

The federal government must also be pressed to respond to documented allegations of involvement in war crimes. Israeli money spent on accommodation and leisure cannot buy institutional indifference.

No tourism promotion policy should turn Palestinian suffering into an inconvenient subject or discredit solidarity as a threat to local businesses.

Offences in Bahia and crimes in occupied Palestine require their own investigations.

The authorities must protect local victims and refer evidence of atrocities to the competent institutions. Condemnation of genocide loses credibility when it is not accompanied by a willingness to investigate suspects present in the country.

Bahia’s history of resistance offers an essential point of reference. On 25 January 1835, African Muslims known as imalês led an uprising in Salvador against slavery and the order that sustained it. I explore this history in my book Imalês — fragmentos da presença de muçulmanos nas revoltas contra a escravidão no Brasil (Imalês: Fragments of the Muslim Presence in Revolts Against Slavery in Brazil). This resistance is part of a legacy of struggle for freedom that demands commitment in the present.

Honouring the imalês means confronting the normalisation of colonial violence and placing human dignity above economic expediency.

Bahia must protect those who raise their voices for Palestine. Its beaches must offer no respite from accountability. The victims of Gaza deserve more than a solidarity that falls silent when the tourist season begins.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.