RIO DE JANEIRO:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Brazil's President-elect JairBolsonaro on Friday announced a nascent "brotherhood" between theircountries that will boost economic, military and technological cooperation. Thetwo issued the warm words to the media after a meeting in a century-oldmilitary fort on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach, at the beginning of thefirst-ever visit by an Israeli prime minister to Brazil.
Netanyahu saidBolsonaro had accepted an invitation to make his own visit to Israel, withoutgiving a date. The Israeli leader is to stay on through Tuesday to join otherforeign dignitaries at the inauguration in Brasilia of Bolsonaro, a far-right,security-conscious politician and former army officer elected in October onpledges to crack down on endemic crime and corruption.
Bolsonaro,sometimes called the "Trump of the tropics" for a similar style to USPresident Donald Trump and rejection of multilateral diplomacy, emphasized thebond he wants to build with Netanyahu, a firm US ally. "More thanpartners, we will be brothers in the future, in economy, technology, all thatcan bring benefit to our two countries," Bolsonaro said. He also spoke ofcooperation 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'shard to believe that we had no such contacts before," he said.
Embassy move
However there wasno mention of Bolsonaro's post-election declaration -- later walked back --that he intended to follow Trump in moving his country's embassy in Israel toJerusalem. Netanyahu had told reporters on his flight to Brazil that "youcan be certain I will speak with him about that in our first meeting." Butneither man raised the topic in their comments to media, and no questions weretaken.
An embassy movecould put at risk lucrative Brazilian poultry and halal meat exports to Arabcountries, which fiercely oppose any unilateral steps seen as cementingIsrael's claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinians view eastJerusalem as the capital of their future state, and most countries in the worldback a longstanding consensus that Jerusalem's status can only be resolvedthrough negotiations and as part of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Nearly 20 percentof Brazil's $5 billion beef exports go to 17 Arab countries. Brazil-Israeltrade currently amounts to $1.2 billion. Bolsonaro said Tuesday he is lookingto import Israeli technology to produce water for Brazil's parched northeast.
Rightward shift
Bolsonaro'sascent to the presidency represents a dramatic, rightward shift in Brazil'spolitics. For decades, the country has been under center-left and center-rightrule and resolutely sought to carve out foreign policy independent of theUnited States. In 2010, the country recognized a Palestinian state, and itnurtured trade and investment relations with China. But Bolsonaro has spokenwith hostility of China's investments in Brazil, and he and one of hispolitician sons have reached out to Trump and people in his orbit.
He and his teamhave also excluded the far-left leaders of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua fromattending the inauguration in Brasilia, although Bolivia's leftwing PresidentEvo Morales received an invitation. Other VIPs attending include conservativeChilean President Sebastian Pinera, Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbanand US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Bolsonaro later Friday attended a Riosynagogue with Netanyahu and told the congregation that Brazil intended to moveforward in the world not only with Israel "but with other countries suchas the United States that think and have a similar ideology to our own."
Meeting Pompeo
Netanyahu madehis Brazil trip despite domestic political turmoil in Israel and a spike inmilitary volatility in neighboring Syria. Pompeo and Netanyahu are to discussSyria on the sidelines of Bolsonaro's swearing-in, an Israeli official and theUS State Department said. US allies including Israel were caught by surprise byTrump's abrupt announcement last week that he was pulling US troops out ofSyria, where Israel's arch-foe Iran has built up a significant military andpolitical presence.
Israel has madeseveral aerial strikes in Syria against positions held by Iran and its Lebanesemilitia Hezbollah. Domestically, Netanyahu is maneuvering to extend his reignin Israel despite a slew of corruption allegations. On Wednesday, Israel'sparliament approved a government decision to call early elections for April 9.The Israeli prime minister also serves as his country's foreign minister. Lastyear he visited Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. - AFP