Brazil decides opened a new diplomatic trade mission to Israel in Jerusalem, in a move believed as a first step in fulfilling a pledge of relocating the Brazilian embassy to the capital of the Jewish state. The move came during an ongoing visit by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who made the announcement in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”A short while ago we made a final decision, having consulted with our (Institutional Security Minister) General Augusto Heleno, to open here in Jerusalem a business office for science, technology and innovation,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said.
While the decision to open a trade, technology and innovation office falls-short from earlier signals of following in the footsteps of the United States by relocating the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that he views the opening of the “official office of the Brazilian government” as a ‘first step towards opening (the Brazilian) embassy in the Israeli capital.'”We are now in Jerusalem. I congratulate your decision to open a trade, technology and innovation office, an official office of the Brazilian government in Jerusalem. And I’m going to tell you a secret. I hope and I would like to believe that it’s a first step towards an opening, when the time comes, of a Brazilian embassy in Jerusalem. So I want to congratulate you my friend and tell you and the lovely delegation you brought, welcome to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
According to Brazilian officials, the decision to back away from relocating the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem comes for fear of damaging Brasilia’s trade-ties with the Arab and Muslim world. That said, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that “Brazil decided to create an office in Jerusalem to promote trade, investment, technology and innovation, as a part of its embassy in Israel.”