Brazil investigates strife between Israeli tourists and pro-Palestine residents

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Arguments between Israeli tourists and pro-Palestinian residents over a historic colonial house and a viral report of sexual harassment in Brazil’s Bahia state have snowballed into a controversy entangling local, state and federal authorities. Police are investigating the latest incidents, which represent an escalation in tensions between Israeli tourists and local Brazilians who identify with the Palestinian cause, in yet another episode of the Middle Eastern conflict echoing far beyond the region. kAmq29:2 v@G] y6Cô?:>@ #@5C:8F6D[ 2? 2==J @7 !C6D:56?E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^=F:K\:?24:@\=F=2\52\D:=G2Qm{F:K x?á4:@ {F=2 52 $:=G2k^2m[ >256 2 EC:A 62C=:6C E9:D H66< E@ E96 36249 4:EJ @7 xE242C6 H96C6 @?6 @7 E96 :?4:56?ED @44FCC65 2?5 >6E H:E9 =@42= 2FE9@C:E:6D 2?5 D64FC:EJ 7@C46D]k^Am kAm“%@FC:DED[ 7C@> H96C6G6C E96J 2C6 7C@>[ H:== 2=H2JD 36 EC62E65 H6==[” #@5C:8F6D D2:5 :? 2 G:56@ A@DE65 @? x?DE28C2> %F6D52J] “qFE H6 2=D@ H2?E C6DA64E 7@C xE242C6 2?5 E96 A6@A=6 @7 q29:2[” #@5C:8F6D D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E 96 H2D :? E@F49 H:E9 E96 7@C6:8? 2772:CD[ E@FC:DE 2?5 ;FDE:46 >:?:DEC:6D]k^Am kAmxDC26=:D @7E6? EC2G6= 27E6C E96:C @3=:82E@CJ >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46[ H9:49 >62?D >2?J 2C6 =:<6=J E@ 92G6 A2CE:4:A2E65 :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82K2\:DC26=\9@DA:E2=\DEC:<6\A6@A=6\<:==65\d_3dcf3d2gabgg3e3c`d266c5ffe7373QmE96 H2C :? v2K2k^2m H9:49 DE2CE65 @? ~4E] f[ a_ab[ H96? w2>2D\=65 >:=:E2?ED 2EE24<65 D@FE96C? xDC26=[ <:==:?8 2C@F?5 `[a__ A6@A=6 2?5 E2<:?8 ad` @E96CD 9@DE286] $:?46 E96?[ xDC26=’D C6E2=:2E@CJ @776?D:G6 92D <:==65 >@C6 E92? fc[e__ A6@A=6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 v2K2 w62=E9 |:?:DECJ]k^Am k9amx?4:56?ED 8@ G:C2= @? D@4:2= >65:2k^9am kAmxE242C6[ 2 4:EJ @7 2C@F?5 b_[___ C6D:56?ED[ 92D 364@>6 2 EC2G6= DA@E 7@C 7@C>6C xDC26=: D@=5:6CD] t2C=:6C E9:D J62C[ E9C66 xDC26=: E@FC:DED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^3C2K:=\:DC26=:\E@FC:DED\C6=62D65\A@=:46\`a24644e3d57_3d2_ebbf5hd3ddea`ebQmH6C6 56E2:?65k^2m 27E6C 4=2D9:?8 H:E9 AC@\!2=6DE:?:2? C6D:56?ED 2=D@ :? xE242C6]k^Am kAmpE E96 962CE @7 E96 =2E6DE 4@?EC@G6CDJ :? E96 36249D:56 4:EJ :D 2 3=F6[ 4@=@?:2=\DEJ=6 9@FD6 E92E H2D C6?E65 3J 2? xDC26=: 2?5 7F?4E:@?65 2D 2 DJ?28@8F6 2?5 82E96C:?8 A=246 7@C y6H:D9 2?5 xDC26=: EC2G6=6CD :? E96 2C62]k^Am kAmt2C=:6C E9:D J62C[ E96 @H?6C 564:565 ?@E E@ C6?6H E96 4@?EC24E[ D2:5 a`\J62C\@=5 #233: }69@C2: *:EK92< %2>D:E[ H9@ C6?E65 E96 A=246 2?5 92D 366? =:G:?8 :? xE242C6 7@C E96 =2DE EH@ J62CD] “(6 EC:65 E@ C6D@=G6 E96 D:EF2E:@? A62467F==J[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C@F89 =2HJ6CD[ 3FE 6G6?EF2==J 564:565 E@ =62G6 C2E96C E92? AC@=@?8 E96 4@?7=:4E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am kAm!C@\!2=6DE:?:2? 24E:G:DE |2C:á '6:82 2D<65 E96 @H?6C @7 E96 9@FD6 E@ 5C2H 2 H2E6C>6=@? – 2 DJ>3@= @7 !2=6DE:?:2? DFAA@CE – @? E96 D:56 @7 E96 9@FD6 27E6C E96 8C@FA’D 56A2CEFC6[ 2 C6BF6DE E92E H2D 8C2?E65[ '6:82 D2:5] %96 H2E6C>6=@? EFC?65 :?E@ 2 >FC2=] Q~E96C 2CE:DED 2CC:G65 2?5 H2?E65 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6[” '6:82 D2:5[ H:E9 D@>6 255:?8 A9C2D6D DF49 2D “ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C:G6C\D62\:DC26=\82K2\92>2D\AC@E6DED\5f2335fde7cg`76d_3e72d4_3h_f45chQmuC@> E96 C:G6C E@ E96 D62k^2m ”[ “qC2K:= x?5:86?@FD E6CC:E@CJ” 2?5 E96 q29:2 DE2E6 7=28]k^Am kAmu@@E286 @7 2 4@?7C@?E2E:@? @FED:56 E96 9@FD6 H2D H:56=J D92C65[ H:E9 2 H@>2? 244FD:?8 2 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 :? EC25:E:@?2= y6H:D9 2EE:C6 @7 H2?E:?8 E@ C6>@G6 E96 >FC2=D 2?5 E6==:?8 E96> E@ =62G6]k^Am kAmx? 2?@E96C G:C2= G:56@[ r2C@=:?2 r2CG2=9@[ bb[ H9@ H@C 92G:?8 2?I:6EJ 2EE2466E H:E9 24E:G:DEDk^9am kAm%96 EH@ 9:89\AC@7:=6 42D6D AC@>AE65 2G:5 5:D4FDD:@? @?=:?6 7C@> 3@E9 AC@\xDC26=: 2?5 AC@\!2=6DE:?:2? 244@F?ED]k^Am kAm“%96C6 2C6 xDC26=: E@FC:DED H9@ 3692G6 325=J 2?5 @E96CD E92E 3692G6 H6==] %96J 2C6 A6@A=6[ 3FE E96 AC@46DD @7 569F>2?:K2E:@? C6>@G6D :?5:G:5F2=:EJ 7C@> xDC26=:D[” E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^3C2K:=QmqC2K:=k^2m xDC26= x?DE:EFE6 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E 5FC:?8 E96 27E6C>2E9]k^Am kAm{2H>2<6C tC:<2 w:=E@?[ ^2CE:4=6^3C2K:=\H@C:?:DECJ E@ 4@?D:56C 32??:?8 D@=5:6CD 7C@> xDC26= 2?5 2?J @E96C 4@F?ECJ 244FD65 @7 H2C 4C:>6D 3J :?E6C?2E:@?2= 3@5:6D]k^Am kAmqC2K:= D9@F=5?VE 2==@H DF49 D@=5:6CD E@ “5@ H92E6G6C E96J A=62D6 @? @FC E6CC:E@CJ[ E6CC@C:K:?8 qC2K:=:2? H@>6?[” D96 D2:5]k^Am kAmpFE9@C:E:6D :? q29:2 2C6 :?G6DE:82E:?8 E96 :?4:56?ED 2?5 @E96C C6A@CED @7 9@DE:=:E:6D 36EH66? E@FC:DED 2?5 C6D:56?ED] p7E6C 2 >66E:?8 (65?6D52J 2>@?8 24E:G:DED 2?5 DE2E6 @77:4:2=D[ E96 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E D2:5 :E H@F=5 C6:?7@C46 A@=:46 :? E@FC:DE:4 2C62D[ H9:=6 2=D@ 2??@F?4:?8 :?:E:2E:G6D E@ C2:D6 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 4@>32E 5:D4C:>:?2E:@?]k^Am kAmq29:2VD 8@G6C?>6?E D2:5 :E H2?ED “C6DA64E7F= 4@6I:DE6?46 36EH66? C6D:56?ED 2?5 G:D:E@CD]”k^Am k9C ^m kAmu@==@H p!’D 4@G6C286 @7 {2E:? p>6C:42 2?5 E96 r2C:3362? 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^=2E:?\2>6C:42Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^=2E:?\2>6C:42k^2mk^Am