Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro told i24NEWS on Tuesday that improving relations between Brazil and Israel is in the interest of both countries, as he wraps up a three-day trip to the Jewish state.
Bolsonaro's visit will conclude on Tuesday with his participation in a joint Israeli-Brazilian business forum alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
On Monday, Bolsonaro made a trailblazing visit to the Western Wall accompanied by Netanyahu making him the first foreign head of state to visit the site with an Israeli premier.
The visit carried with it a significant message, signaling Brazil's tacit recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the east Jerusalem holy site despite Bosonaro's walk-back of a pledge to recognize the city as Israel's capital.
Bolsonaro told i24NEWS on Tuesday that his visit to Israel carried special significance for him as a Christian, and said that relations between the two countries could continue to be improved for the betterment of both.
'First of all, I'm Christian and I love Israel — I really feel the atmosphere of cooperation between our countries is happening now and we can improve for the betterment of both of our people.' @jairbolsonaro on what it means to be in #Israel right now: pic.twitter.com/azRFWoVUe9
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) April 2, 2019
"I really feel the atmosphere of cooperation between our countries is happening now and we can improve it for the betterment of our both our people," Bolsonaro said, after touring an Israeli innovation exhibit and attending a forum of Israeli and Brazilian business people.
Bolsonaro added that he expects "bigger interaction" between Israel and Brazil following his visit.
"Everything we will do will be for that," he told i24NEWS.
Netanyahu struck a similar chord in remarks after touring an exhibit displaying various developments in the fields of agriculture and health with the Brazilian president.
"Brazil has tremendous gifts and tremendous possibilities to join us. We can be, and want to be, your perfect partners," he said.
"We have no limitation on what we share with you, whether it's cybersecurity, in general security, in agriculture, in water, in IT. The sky is the limit, and we welcome you as our dearest friends."
On Sunday, Israeli and Brazilian representatives signed a host of bilateral agreements on Sunday in the fields of defense cooperation, public safety and technology among others, as well as an agreement that will see Brazil's state-run oil giant Petrobas submit a tender to explore for oil and gas off the Israeli coast.
The Brazilian delegation also agreed to open a "diplomatic office" in Jerusalem to "promote trade, investment, technology and innovation", but refrained from committing to transferring its embassy to the city.
Bolsonaro's backpedal on the embassy relocation reportedly stems from concern that the move would damage Brazil's export of halal meat to the Arab world. Brazil is the largest exporter of halal certified foods – an industry that raked in some $5 billion for the country in 2018.
The Palestinian leadership nonetheless condemned the move, saying they would recall their diplomatic representation in the Latin American powerhouse, while Netanyahu signaled he was still holding out for an eventual embassy move.
Bolsonaro's visit comes as Netanyahu seeks to boost his image as an internationally esteemed leader who is tough on security ahead of the April 9 elections.
Netanyahu became the first Israeli prime minister to visit Brazil when he traveled there for Bolsonaro's January 1 inauguration.
Read more here: https://www.i24news.tv/en.
