Page 18 - TORCH Magazine #13 - April 2019

has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks to go back on the embassy promise, with reports claiming that the opening of a “diplomatic office” 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 brought in $5 billion for the country in 2018.
The Palestinian leadership nonetheless condemned the move.
A LEGACY REVIVED
Brazil has a legacy of blessing Israel. Brazil was a safe haven for Jews fleeing Portugal during the Inquisition and it received around 12,000 Jews escaping the Holocaust. Today, Brazil has strict laws against anti-Semitism – up to five years imprisonment. Brazil formally recognised the State of Israel in 1949 and was one of the first countries to recognise the Israeli government.
But in recent years Brazil has held a
hostile attitude towards Israel. For example, the government of Luiz Inácio “Lula” da
Silva (2003-2011) became close to the Iranian regime and in 2010 even tried to prevent the USA and the EU from sanctioning Iran for
its nuclear development programme. Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s successor, distanced herself from the Iranian regime but voted against Israel across international forums.
"We have a wonderful opportunity to change the world and to change our future for the better.”
But change is underway. Brazil’s foreign minister recently said that he is determined
for Brazil to end its “spurious and unjust” discriminatory treatment of Israel. A recent vote by Brazil at the UN Human Rights Council is a sign this has started. For the first time in the history of the council, Brazil voted against two anti-Israel resolutions.
Speaking on Bolsonaro’s last day in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu inferred the shared Judea-Christian heritage shared by both leaders:
“We have a brotherhood. Our civilization began in this city thousands of years ago.
Our common heritage began on these hills thousands of years ago. We cherish our past. We cherish our traditions. We are like an old tree with deep roots that keeps on sending branches to the sky. We have a wonderful opportunity to change the world and to change our future for the better.”
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CUFI Founder, Pastor John Hagee, met President Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro, where he spoke to major pastors and political leaders of Brazil.