University of São Paulo Scool of Multidimensional Security Studies Statemnet Concerning the Terrorist Attacks in Israel

The Multidimensional Security Studies School and the International Strategy Analysis Group (DSI) at the University of São Paulo express their strong condemnation of the recent terrorist attacks against the population of Israel.

At this crucial moment, we feel the need to stand before our students, professors and supporters in solidarity with a society facing the insane, indiscriminate and unjustified use of violence on an unprecedented scale in the last five decades.

ESEM is a research and training center at the University of São Paulo committed to producing evidence-based and independent reflections on topics such as international security, border management, illicit markets, and organized crime. In our courses for professionals in the fields of security, justice, and defense, we always strive to adhere to the best academic practices from various fields of knowledge. Our guiding principle is never to forget or fail to consider the complexity and risks that our students and supporters face every day in ensuring the safety and rights of the population and peace among nations.

The population of Israel has been the target of a brutal attack carried out by terrorist organizations that infiltrated their borders and committed acts of extreme cruelty, including home invasions, deliberate killings, and the abduction of defenseless children and elderly individuals. The death toll from the attacks that began on October 7 evokes memories of conflicts that occurred decades ago and reveals a blatant violation of the most fundamental norms of international coexistence and the Brazilian Constitution. There is no justification or excuse for such acts of terror.

We are living in times of intolerance and the rise of autocrats and terrorist movements that exploit and oppress the populations of the countries and territories where they establish themselves, with the sole purpose of profiting from illicit activities and exercising political control, without any respect for the freedoms and rights of those they claim to represent and defend.

In this sensitive moment, it is worth recalling the example of Brazilian Chancellor and Diplomat Oswaldo Aranha, the patron of the Chair dedicated to Security, Defense, and International Transgressions at the Institute of International Relations of USP, who guided Brazil's positions in the international debate, uttering the power of his humanistic vision during the United Nations General Assembly that resolved to create the State of Israel in 1947:

"Here are gathered all the great forces of the earth, all their responsibility. However, the greatest significance lies in their moral respect. We are faith, hope, and reason at this moment. After an era of destruction and death, we are the expression of the highest and broadest aspirations of human solidarity and peace."

We reaffirm our commitment to promoting security, defense, and peace worldwide, and we stand firmly in support of the government and people of Israel. 

Multidimensional Security School & International Strategy Analysis Group (DSI)

University of São Paulo