Brazilian president Bolsonaro has been in power for over three months now and he will be soon walking the diplomatic tightrope in Israel as he arrives on Sunday. He seeks to form better ties with his right-wing counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. He also hopes to keep key Arab trade partners on the side.
Another important topic likely to be on the agenda is Bolsonaro's pledge to move the Brazil embassy to Jerusalem. As for Netanyahu, he is looking to boost his standing ahead of the elections on April 9.
Bolsonaro is also likely to ask for greater access to Israeli defence technology.
also read
- US students across Columbia, Standford varsities up in arms against Biden on Gaza war
- Israel’s military intelligence chief resigns ‘taking responsibility’ over Hamas attack
- Amid raging wars, the world spent $2,443 bn in 2023 on military expenses
- Gaza war: In Rafa, doctors save baby from womb of mother killed in Israeli strike
- US to sanction IDF as Israel targets Palestinians in Rafah, West Bank
During the three-day visit that comes after his visits to United States and Chile, he will also visit the Prime Minister's Residence, visit Yad Vashem and plant a tree in the grove of nations.
Bolsonaro will also pay a visit to the Home Front Command, where he will pay a tribute to the Israeli rescue mission that helped his country in the disaster of the collapse of the dam in January.
While neither countries have release details of the visit, another topic that will be in focus is correcting the lopsided trade relationship by boosting Brazilian exports, mainly soybeans and meat.
As per official data, as of 2018, Brazil's exports to Israel were worth $321 million dollars, while imports, including fertilizers and chemical products, stood at $1.17 billion.
The issue of relocating Brazil's embassy to Jerusalem will be brought up as it will give Netanyahu the much-needed boost during the elections. It will test the tough-talking Bolsonaro's diplomatic skills.
Months after promising the shift, which sparked an angry response from Palestinian leaders, Bolsonaro has yet to announce a timeline for the shift. He has however hinted that he was in no hurry to make a decision.
"Trump took nine months to decide, to give his final word, so that the embassy was transferred," Bolsonaro said.
"Perhaps now we will open a commercial office in Jerusalem."
Bolsonaro is in a tightspot regarding the embassy because while it could please his evangelical Christian support base, it would run the risk of provoking commercial retaliation from Arab states, some of which are major importers of Brazilian meat.
The decision to move the embassy is highly sensitive because Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
"If he doesn't announce it on the trip, it will frustrate his voters' expectations and upset evangelical groups," federal lawmaker Marcos Pereira, who is also president of a parliamentary Brazil-Israel friendship group, said.
For Netanyahu, who faces a strong challenge from former military chief Benny Gantz in next month's election, Bolsonaro's visit will help him demonstrate that "he has friends around the world," Raphael Eldad, Israeli ambassador to Brazil from 2011 to 2014, said. "In the international context, Israel cannot ignore friends."
