It seems quite impossible to cause a public outcry by making an economic forecast, but Brazilian journalist Jose Carlos Bernardi managed to do just that. While commenting on a visit to Germany by former President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, he was asked how Brazil could achieve the same level of economic development enjoyed by Germany. Mr Bernardi replied:
"Only by attacking all the Jews that we can get here. If we kill a gazillion Jews and appropriate their economic power, then Brazil will get rich. That's what happened with Germany after the war", the journalist said.
The remark caused an uproar on social media, with users harshly condemning the journalist.
Many netizens said they couldn't believe that someone could make such an insensitive statement.
Others deemed the journalist had criticised the actions of Nazi Germany.
Tweet: "I am Jewish and it is unacceptable for political or journalistic debates to use the tragic death of millions of Jews to justify their arguments. But his intention was not to make apology for the holocaust, but to criticise Germany for Nazism and death against our people!"
Jose Carlos Bernardi has since issued an apology, saying his statement was meant to highlight the injustice done to Jews by Nazi Germany during the Second World War and was in no way a suggested course of action. But it appears his apology failed to quell netizens' anger.
Jovem Pan Brazil's largest network of radio stations has too issued an apology for the journalist's statements, but didn't elaborate on whether it plans to fire Mr Bernardi. Earlier, Brazilian lawmaker Antonio Campos Machado announced that he had terminated his contract with the journalist.