Brazilian president in Israel for four days; Deals in security, aviation, homeland security, science, technology to be signed; Netanyahu: you have come to Israel in order to bring relations between us to a new height.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Israel on Sunday for meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and to attend the Israel-Brazil Innovation Summit. The Brazilian president is accompanied by a delegation from his government and staff as well as businesspeople to attend the summit focused on highlighting and boosting Israeli-Brazilian economic ties. According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, trade between Israel and Brazil has reached over $1.2 billion.
The prime minister met Bolsonaro at the Ben-Gurion Airport on Sunday, kicking off his four-day visit centered on increasing trade and cooperation. Media reports have suggested he may announce the Brazilian embassy relocation to Jerusalem during his visit. Following a short ceremony, Netanyahu welcomed Bolsonaro and his “honorable delegation of ministers, MP’s and businesspeople” the largest Brazilian delegation to visit Israel to date. He guaranteed the delegation would “meet the great admiration for Brazil” in Israel.
The leaders addressed the press before heading to Jerusalem, Netanyahu highlighting bilateral ties and announcing that several agreements in trade, investments, technology, agriculture, energy, tourism and many others would be signed during Bolsonaro’s visit. Referring to his historic visit to Brazil in January of this year, he stated “we are making history together. When you took up office last January, we opened a new era in Brazil-Israel relations. I was at the moving ceremony in which you were sworn in as president and here, after a mere three months, on your first visit outside South America, you have come to Israel in order to bring relations between us to a new height.”
The prime minister’s office confirmed on Sunday that “The Prime Minister and the Brazilian President will participate in the signing of a series of bilateral agreements in the areas of security, aviation, homeland security, science and technology, and will sign Memorandums of Understanding on cyber, health and water.“ Both leaders will give public addresses on Monday before visiting the Western Wall together on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu made history as the first Israeli prime minister to visit Brazil in January of this year. He attended President Bolsonaro’s inauguration and laid the foundations for increased diplomatic and economic ties. Jair Bolsonaro, a Zionist, supporter of Israel and evangelical Christian, has openly declared his love for Israel and the Jewish people, as well as his intentions to relocate Brazil’s embassy. He stated in November of last year “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.”
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