Related Quarterly Updates

After mos. of uncertainty, secret negotiations, and public hand-wringing over the Israeli govt.’s nomination of former settler leader Dani Dayan as amb. to Brazil (see JPS 45 [2, 3]), the Israeli govt. relented this quarter. The Brazilian govt. refused to credential Dayan because of his background as a leader of the settler movement. Consequently, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced (3/17) that the govt. had begun looking for a new candidate, effectively rescinding Dayan’s nomination. Although an Israeli spokesperson attempted to refute the announcement later that day, PM Netanyahu appointed Dayan consul gen. in New York on 3/28 (see “United States” above), ending the controversy and restoring Israeli-Brazilian relations.

Brasilia accepted the appointment of Yossi Shelli as Israeli amb. on 1/17, ending the diplomatic crisis set off by PM Netanyahu’s nomination of settler leader Dani Dayan to the post (see JPS 45 [2–4]). A former Likud activist, Shelli previously served as dir.-gen. of the Beersheba Municipality and on the Israel Postal Authority’s board of directors.

                Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who has displayed close relations to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. president Donald Trump, tweeted (11/1) that he would move the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem once he is sworn into office in January 2019. After a meeting between President-elect Bolsonaro and Prime Minister Netanyahu in December, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that President-elect Bolsonaro had conveyed to him that it was not a matter of if, but when, that Brazil would move its embassy. The Australian prime minister announced that Australia had recognized West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but had decided not to move the country’s embassy (see Australia). Paraguay announced that it was reversing its decision and moving its embassy back to Tel Aviv (see Paraguay).

               Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro, who during his presidential campaign had promised to move Brazil’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, backtracked on his promise and announced during a visit to Israel that Brazil would be opening a “business office” in Jerusalem instead (for more, see Brazil 16 August-31 December 2018).

Quarterly Updates for (1 Jan 1970 — 1 Jan 1970)

                Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who has displayed close relations to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. president Donald Trump, tweeted (11/1) that he would move the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem once he is sworn into office in January 2019.