RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Brazil will move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday (Nov 1), making the Latin American giant the largest country after the United States to make the controversial switch. 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. “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. The move will make Brazil the most prominent country after the United States to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital, after Donald Trump moved the U.S. embassy earlier this year. Paraguay also briefly shifted its embassy to Jerusalem, but moved it back to Tel Aviv following the election of its new president, Mario Abdo Benitez. Israel considers the entire city its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, with international consensus being that the status of the whole city must be negotiated between the two sides. Most countries maintain embassies in Tel Aviv, saying the final status of Jerusalem must be determined through negotiations. Some Brazilians have raised concerns about Bolsonaro's plan, saying it would hurt Brazil's relations with Muslim nations.
The president-elect of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, states that he will honor his campaign pledge to move the country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.