Brazil's Bolsonaro hosts Netanyahu, avoids talks of embassy move to Jerusalem al-Quds
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has made no word of his controversial decision about relocating the country’s embassy in Israel to the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds during his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Rio de Janeiro.
Shortly after he was elected in October, Bolsonaro said he saw no problem in relocating the Tel Aviv embassy to al-Quds..
The possible embassy move evenly aligns Bolsonaro – called the “Tropical Trump" – with the US president Donald Trump, whom the Brazilian president-elect has been following.
The decision was immediately welcomed by the Israeli prime minister at the time, but raised concerns in Brazil that the move would hurt the country’s relations with Muslim nations.
First Israeli PM to visit Brazil
Netanyahu, the first Israeli premier to visit Brazil, is now in the country to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration ceremony on January 1.
He met with Bolsonaro at lunch in a fort on Copacabana beach on Friday, after which they pledged to strengthen ties.
Netanyahu, who called his visit "historic," said, "It's hard to believe that we had no such contacts before.”
Despite speculations that Bolsonaro will use Netanyahu's visit to declare his decision, neither of the men mentioned plans to move the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.
This is while Netanyahu told reporters on his flight to Brazil that "you can be certain I will speak with him about that in our first meeting."
The Arab League had warned the Brazilian leader that the move would be a setback for relations with Arab countries, according to a letter seen by Reuters earlier in December.
If Bolsonaro follows through the plan, the Latin American country would become the third nation – after the US and Guatemala – to have an embassy in the highly sensitive city which is the third holiest Muslim site.
Jerusalem al-Quds was occupied by the Tel Aviv regime during the Six-Day War in the 1967, and is deemed the capital of a future Palestinian independent state.
Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's so-called capital and officially opened the US embassy in the city in May, sparking international outrage.
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