Terrorism is terrorism. It has no other name, and there is no room for relativism or political calculation in relation to it. Hamas does not and has never wanted peace, because the destruction of Israel is in its founding statute. Hamas is a terrorist group, and must be recognized as such by Brazil, which must take a firm stance against terrorism and extremism.
In the 1940s, Brazil came very close to placing itself on the wrong side of history, allying itself with the Axis (Germany, Italy and Japan) in the Second World War. And it was thanks to the diplomat Oswaldo Aranha, who provided an important counterpoint to the strong German influence in the Getúlio Vargas regime, that Brazil, in the end, made the correct decision and fought alongside the Allies.
Cultural relativism has taught us, for a long time, that it is inappropriate to judge one culture taking into account the values of another. However, this cannot make us understand unjustifiable atrocities as part of a sovereign cultural system or a cause, however noble it may eventually seem.
There are values that must be defended universally, such as freedom, justice and peace, and which cannot be conditioned by time, political vision or geographical boundaries.
Historically, our country has given the classification of terrorists to groups that are recognized as such by the UN, such as Al Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State. And since Brazil holds the presidency of the entity's Security Council this month, there does not seem to be a more opportune moment for our diplomacy to leave another historic mark on the multilateral organization, like that left by Oswaldo Aranha in 1947.
The current moment demands an exemplary stance from Brazil. Not classifying Hamas as a terrorist group, in contrast to the stance of nations such as the United States, United Kingdom and Japan, raises questions about Brazil's legitimacy to occupy the leadership space it intends to exercise on the international stage, for which it is required firmness and clarity of purpose. As Brazilians, we hope that, once again, Brazil makes the right choice.
