President-elect Jair Bolsonaro will move Brazil’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, making the Latin American country the largest after the US to make the switch.
The move from Tel Aviv, which will defy Palestinians and most of the world, is the latest controversial announcement by the former army captain, who has wasted no time implementing his conservative agenda since his election win on Sunday.
A senior Palestinian official condemned Mr Bolsonaro’s move last night. “These are provocative and illegal steps that will only destabilise security and stability in the region,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee.
Mr Bolsonaro tweeted: “As previously stated during our campaign, we intend to transfer the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel is a sovereign state and we shall duly respect that.”
He also made waves on the domestic front, naming the judge who has up-ended Brazilian politics with a massive corruption investigation, Sergio Moro, to be his justice minister.
Judge Moro is a hero to many Brazilians for his unrelenting “Car Wash” investigation, that uncovered the looting of state oil company Petrobras. But for opponents, the move fuelled accusations that the judge was politically motivated, especially against leftist ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whom polls showed would have beaten Mr Bolsonaro in the election had he not been jailed 12 years for corruption.
Read the article in The Australian (AFP).