Brazil's embassy in Israel will be transferred to Jerusalem, Jair Bolsonaro announces

Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right Brazilian president, is following in the footsteps of Donald Trump. He confirmed Thursday 1^st November that he was going to transfer the Brazilian Embbady to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A very controversial measure that was implemented in May by the US President.

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"As we have already announced during the campaign, we intend to transfer the Brazilian Embbady from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, announced Bolsonaro on Twitter. Israel is a sovereign state and we must respect that fully. "

Shortly after this tweet published in Portuguese and English, the right-wing president-elect said at a press conference that he did not think this announcement could create "A heavy climate" in relations between Brazil and the Middle East.

"We have the greatest respect for the people of Israel and for the Arab people. We do not want to create problems with anyone. We want to trade with everyone and seek peaceful solutions to solve problems. "

Particularly sensitive location

In an interview published Thursday by the Israeli newspaper HayomIn favor of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, Bolsonaro had already said that Israel should be free to choose its capital. "When I was asked, during the campaign, if I would do it once I became president, I would answer" yes, it is you who decide which is the capital of Israel, not the other nations ""he told the daily.

The question of the location of embbadies in Israel is particularly sensitive. The Jewish state considers the entire city of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians aspire to make East Jerusalem the capital of their future state. For the international community, the status of the Holy City must be negotiated by both parties and embbadies must not settle there until an agreement has been reached.

Donald Trump broke apart in December 2017 with decades of American diplomacy recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has since cut ties with the Trump administration.