Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri strongly condemned a recent statement by Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro in which he pledged to move Brazil’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem joining the United States and Guatemala.
In a tweet on Friday Abu Zuhri said: “We firmly rebuff the decision of the Brazilian President President-elect Jair Bolsonaro to transfer his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.”
We call him on to backtrack on the decision which we believe is a sign of antagonism towards the Palestinian people and the Arab and Islamic nation” Abu Zuhri’ tweet further read.
President-elect Jair Bolsonaro who has not yet taken up office said on Thursday that he plans to move Brazil’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.
In a tweet Thursday Bolsonaro said: “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.”
It was the first time since being elected Sunday that Bolsonaro referred to his plan to move the embassy.
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly welcomed the plan and issued a statement praising Bolsonaro: “I congratulate my friend Brazilian President-Elect Jair Bolsonaro for his intention to move the Brazilian Embassy to Jerusalem a historic correct and exciting step!”
Netanyahu spoke to Bolsonaro earlier this week congratulating him on his victory and inviting him to visit Israel.
If Bolsonaro follows through on his pledge Brazil would become the third country to have an embassy in Jerusalem after the US and Guatemala. Paraguay briefly moved its embassy to Jerusalem as well only to move it back to Tel Aviv after its new president Mario Abdo Benítez was elected.
