Brazil has opened a new trade mission in Jerusalem on Sunday in order to promote technology, investment and innovation as part of its embassy in Israel, backing off from its earlier intentions to follow the United States with embassy’s full movement to Jerusalem.
According to Reuters news reports, Brazil’s announcement has come during an official visit by President Jair Bolsonaro to Jerusalem, who has broken global consensus by attempting to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel late 2017 as well as moving the US embassy to Jerusalem last year’s May.
In January, Bolsonaro had suggested that he would follow the suit, could be a boost for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Brazil’s senior officials later stepped back from the idea, fearing damaging trade relations with the Arab nations.
In an official statement, the foreign ministry in Brasilia said: “Brazil decided to create an office in Jerusalem to promote trade, investment, technology and innovation as a part of its embassy in Israel.”
Like most of the other nations, Brazil also has its embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Netanyahu told reporters: “I hope, and I would like to believe, that this (office) is the first step toward the opening of the Brazilian embassy in Jerusalem when the time comes.”
However, Brazil has not yet officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, though most world powers have said it should be decided only as a part of the peace process with Palestine.
The Palestinian foreign ministry has condemned Brazil’s decision opening an office in Jerusalem, terming the move “a flagrant violation of international legitimacy (and) direct aggression against our people and their rights”.
Last month, Brazilian vice president Hamilton Mourao has told Reuters the embassy’s move to Jerusalem was a bad idea as it would damage Brazil’s export to the Arab countries.