'Brazil will move its embassy to Jerusalem'

Speaking at an event inaugurating a new Brazilian trade office in Jerusalem, Eduardo Bolsonaro – son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro – tells Israeli PM Netanyahu that Brazil will be moving its Israeli embassy to the capital in 2020 and will declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Sunday, December 15, 2019
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Eduardo Bolsonaro, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that Brazil was committed to moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2020.

Bolsonaro Jr. spoke during a meeting inaugurating an office of Brazil's APEX-Brasil trade organization in Jerusalem.

Bolsonaro Jr. said that he had spoken with his father, the president, prior to arriving in Israel, and that "he intends to move the embassy to Jerusalem and … he will do it."

During the meeting, Netanyahu spoke with President Bolsonaro by telephone.

A few months ago, reports said that Brazil had decided not to relocate its embassy in Israel due to opposition to the move in the Brazilian government.

Netanyahu said that the opening of the Brazilian trade office in Jerusalem was part of the "strengthening ties between Israel and Brazil."

"I would like to express my appreciation for President Bolsonaro's stances supporting Israel in international forums. President Bolsonaro changed [Brazilian] policy immediately and said, 'We stand with Israel, we stand by the truth.' We here in Israel stand with Brazil because we stand by the truth, and we support Brazil in any way we can," Netanyahu said.

Bolsonaro Jr. said, "Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, we will fight terrorism together. If we want to prevent terrorist attacks, we must demonstrate strength. So sooner or later, we [Brazil] will declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization."

Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu warned that if Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah attacked Israel, both Hezbollah and the state of Lebanon would pay a very "heavy price."

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, "In recent days we have heard a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander again threaten that Iran will destroy Tel Aviv from Lebanon. He thus reveals a simple truth: Hezbollah is simply Iran's arm in Lebanon against Israel.

"Even though Nasrallah immediately denied the senior Iranian commander's remarks, I would like to make it clear that if Nasrallah dares to attack Israel, the organization and the Lebanese state that enable aggression from its territory against us will pay a very heavy price," Netanyahu continued.

Israel Hayom