Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s far-right president, has responded to criticism after saying he could “forgive but not forget” the crimes of the Holocaust.

The 64-year-old made the comments while addressing a group of Brazilian evangelical Christians on Thursday.

“We can forgive, but we can’t forget. That’s my phrase,” the president said at the event.

“Those who forget their past are condemned not to have a future.”

There was no immediate response to Mr Bolsonaro’s comments from Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing Israeli president who has cultivated ties with the controversial Brazilian leader.

Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Show all 8 1 /8 Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency A man holds an inflatable figure of jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro celebrate in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, after the former army captain won Brazil's presidential election AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party (PT), Fernando Haddad, react in Rio AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Police officers patrol the streets during a gathering of supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Fernando Haddad, presidential candidate of Brazil's leftist Workers Party (PT), is kissed by his wife Ana Estela Haddad Reuters Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency epa07128316 Supporters of Socialist candidate Fernando Haddad react after he was defeated by far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 28 October 2018. With 99.4 percent of ballots counted, Bolsonaro won the second round of the elections with 55.1 percent of the votes, compared to 44.9 percent obtained by Fernando Haddad, successor of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and candidate of the PT, or Workers Party. EPA/JULIO CESAR GUIMARAES JULIO CESAR GUIMARAES EPA Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party (PT), Fernando Haddad, react in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil's presidential election, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 28, 2018. - Far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, beating leftist opponent Fernando Haddad in a runoff election after a bitter and polarized campaign. Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.18 percent of the vote with more than 99.7 percent of the ballots counted. (Photo by Daniel RAMALHO / AFP)DANIEL RAMALHO/AFP/Getty Images DANIEL RAMALHO AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, celebrate in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, after the former army captain won Brazil's presidential election, according to official results that gave him 55.7 percent of the vote, on October 28, 2018. - Far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, beating leftist opponent Fernando Haddad in a runoff election after a bitter and polarized campaign. Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.18 percent of the vote with more than 99.7 percent of the ballots counted. (Photo by Sergio LIMA / AFP)SERGIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images SERGIO LIMA AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro gather outside the Federal Police headquarters where Brazilâ€™s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is serving a prison sentence, after Bolsonaro wins the presidential race in Curitiba, Brazil October 28, 2018. REUTERS/Rodolfo Buhrer RODOLFO BUHRER REUTERS

But Israel’s president Reuven Rivlin, whose role is mostly ceremonial, commented on the controversy on Twitter.

“We will always oppose those who deny the truth or those who wish to expunge our memory – not individuals or groups, not party leaders or prime ministers,” he wrote.

“We will never forgive and never forget. The Jewish people will always fight anti-semitism and xenophobia. Political leaders are responsible for shaping the future.

“Historians describe the past and research what happened. Neither one should stray into the territory of the other”.

Following the backlash, Mr Bolsonaro issued a statement through Yossi Shelley, Israel’s ambassador to Brazil.

“To the people of Israel I wrote in the guestbook of the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem: ‘Those who forget their past are doomed to not have a future’,” the Brazilian leader said.

“Therefore, any other interpretation is only in the interest of those who want to push me away from my Jewish friends.

“Forgiveness is something personal, my speech was never meant to be used in a historical context, especially one where millions of innocent people were murdered in a cruel genocide.”

Six million Jewish people were murdered by Germany’s Nazi regime during the Second World War as part of Adolf Hitler’s campaign of extermination.

Mr Bolsonaro had previously raised eyebrows when he falsely claimed the Nazis had been “leftists” while visiting Israel earlier this month.

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He made the comments after a tour of the Holocaust memorial Yad Vadshem.

“It is no one’s place to decide who can be forgiven and whether there should be forgiveness for the crimes of the Holocaust,” a spokesperson for the site said on Saturday.