Brazil's Bolsonaro announces Jerusalem office in pre-vote visit to Israel
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he began a visit to Israel on Sunday and announced a new Jerusalem trade office, but his pledge to move the embassy was on hold. Netanyahu has been hoping Bolsonaro would follow through on his controversial promise to move the embassy to the disputed city, giving the Israeli premier a boost just ahead of April 9 elections. The two leaders instead spoke of opening a Brazilian trade, technology and innovation office there and Netanyahu expressed hope a bigger announcement was not far off. "I'm going to tell you a secret: I hope that this is a first step toward the opening, when the time comes, of a Brazilian embassy in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said as they gave pre-dinner statements to journalists. Bolsonaro will walk a diplomatic tightrope during the three-day visit as he seeks to shore up ties with Netanyahu while avoiding angering key Arab trade partners. Months after promising to move the embassy -- a step already taken by US President Donald Trump -- Bolsonaro has yet to announce a timetable. Speaking to reporters Thursday, he suggested 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. Moving the embassy would please Bolsonaro's evangelical Christian support base, but would also risk provoking commercial retaliation from Arab states, some of which are major importers of Brazilian meat. The Palestinian leadership froze contacts with the White House after Trump's move. - Western Wall visit - Bolsonaro is expected to visit Jerusalem's Western Wall alongside Netanyahu on Monday -- a controversial move in itself. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo became the first high-ranking American official to visit the Western Wall with an Israeli premier. The site, one of the holiest in Judaism, is in mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem, annexed by Israel in a move never recognised by the international community. It could be taken as tacit approval of Israel's sovereignty over the site. On Sunday afternoon, Netanyahu and Bolsonaro met at the premier's Jerusalem office and the two countries signed six agreements on areas including defence cooperation, public safety and technology. Earlier in the day at an airport welcoming ceremony, Netanyahu said "we are making history together," adding that they had "opened a new era in relations between our two countries". Bolsonaro spoke of his Christian faith and why the trip was moving for him for that reason, noting a previous pilgrimage to the Jordan River, as well as improving ties. "My government is firmly resolved to strengthen the partnership between Brazil and Israel," he said. "Cooperation in the areas of security and defence is also of great interest to Brazil." Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Brazil when he travelled there for Bolsonaro's January 1 inauguration. In their discussions then, the two right-wingers talked up their budding "brotherhood" which they said would boost military, economic, technological and agricultural cooperation. Netanyahu is facing a tough challenge from centrist former military chief Benny Gantz in Israel's elections, whilst also facing indictment on corruption allegations. Pompeo's visit this month and Netanyahu's trip to the United States to meet Trump last week -- cut short due to a flare-up in the Gaza Strip -- were widely seen as boosting his campaign. He has sought to present himself as Israel's essential statesman, and Bolsonaro's visit may include similar rhetoric. Both Netanyahu and Bolsonaro have good relations with Trump. During the Brazilian leader's visit to Washington this month, the US president heaped praise on Bolsonaro, announcing a special relationship that he said could even see the Latin American country join NATO. For years Bolsonaro was little more than a marginal congressman, but his Trump-like campaign in 2018, promising to combat corruption and end politics as usual, propelled him to a surprise victory. burs-mjs/del Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (R) was greeted on arrival in Israel by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu President Jair Bolsonaro said "my government is firmly resolved to strengthen the partnership between Brazil and Israel"
