RIO DE JANEIRO:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Brazil's President-elect Jair
Bolsonaro on Friday announced a nascent "brotherhood" between their
countries that will boost economic, military and technological cooperation. The
two issued the warm words to the media after a meeting in a century-old
military fort on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, at the beginning of the
first-ever visit by an Israeli prime minister to Brazil.

Netanyahu said
Bolsonaro had accepted an invitation to make his own visit to Israel, without
giving a date. The Israeli leader is to stay on through Tuesday to join other
foreign dignitaries at the inauguration in Brasilia of Bolsonaro, a far-right,
security-conscious politician and former army officer elected in October on
pledges to crack down on endemic crime and corruption.

Bolsonaro,
sometimes called the "Trump of the tropics" for a similar style to US
President Donald Trump and rejection of multilateral diplomacy, emphasized the
bond he wants to build with Netanyahu, a firm US ally. "More than
partners, we will be brothers in the future, in economy, technology, all that
can bring benefit to our two countries," Bolsonaro said. He also spoke of
cooperation in military and agriculture matters. Netanyahu, calling his visit
"historic," also spoke of "the brotherhood, the alliance"
the two planned as something that "can carry us to great heights. It's
hard to believe that we had no such contacts before," he said.

Embassy move

However there was
no mention of Bolsonaro's post-election declaration -- later walked back --
that he intended to follow Trump in moving his country's embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem. Netanyahu had told reporters on his flight to Brazil that "you
can be certain I will speak with him about that in our first meeting." But
neither man raised the topic in their comments to media, and no questions were
taken.

An embassy move
could put at risk lucrative Brazilian poultry and halal meat exports to Arab
countries, which fiercely oppose any unilateral steps seen as cementing
Israel's claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinians view east
Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and most countries in the world
back a longstanding consensus that Jerusalem's status can only be resolved
through negotiations and as part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Nearly 20 percent
of Brazil's $5 billion beef exports go to 17 Arab countries. Brazil-Israel
trade currently amounts to $1.2 billion. Bolsonaro said Tuesday he is looking
to import Israeli technology to produce water for Brazil's parched northeast.

Rightward shift

Bolsonaro's
ascent to the presidency represents a dramatic, rightward shift in Brazil's
politics. For decades, the country has been under center-left and center-right
rule and resolutely sought to carve out foreign policy independent of the
United States. In 2010, the country recognized a Palestinian state, and it
nurtured trade and investment relations with China. But Bolsonaro has spoken
with hostility of China's investments in Brazil, and he and one of his
politician sons have reached out to Trump and people in his orbit.

He and his team
have also excluded the far-left leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua from
attending the inauguration in Brasilia, although Bolivia's leftwing President
Evo Morales received an invitation. Other VIPs attending include conservative
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban
and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Bolsonaro later Friday attended a Rio
synagogue with Netanyahu and told the congregation that Brazil intended to move
forward in the world not only with Israel "but with other countries such
as the United States that think and have a similar ideology to our own."

Meeting Pompeo

Netanyahu made
his Brazil trip despite domestic political turmoil in Israel and a spike in
military volatility in neighboring Syria. Pompeo and Netanyahu are to discuss
Syria on the sidelines of Bolsonaro's swearing-in, an Israeli official and the
US State Department said. US allies including Israel were caught by surprise by
Trump's abrupt announcement last week that he was pulling US troops out of
Syria, where Israel's arch-foe Iran has built up a significant military and
political presence.

Israel has made
several aerial strikes in Syria against positions held by Iran and its Lebanese
militia Hezbollah. Domestically, Netanyahu is maneuvering to extend his reign
in Israel despite a slew of corruption allegations. On Wednesday, Israel's
parliament approved a government decision to call early elections for April 9.
The Israeli prime minister also serves as his country's foreign minister. Last
year he visited Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. - AFP