Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was re-elected as president after 12 years in Brazil, dismissed his country's Ambassador to Israel, General Gerson Ferentes, appointed by former President Jair Bolsonaro, to show his support for the Palestinian struggle. This critical move was considered Brazil's first major step since the newly elected president took office, and a sign of a return to essence in Brazil's Israel policy. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who signed the resolution, announced that Ambassador Freitas was a general in the Brazilian army who had no previous diplomatic experience.
FREITAS WORKED FOR ZIONISM THROUGHOUT HIS TERM OF OFFICE
Freitas was appointed ambassador to the occupied state of Israel by former President Jair Bolsonaro in September 2020. Freitas played a critical role in deepening relations between Brazil and Israel during the Bolsonaro era. Freitas also oversaw the transport process of the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at the direction of former President Bolsonaro. Ambassador Freitas, who was dismissed, played a role in the Palestinian proposal to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, in the decision not to vote in favor of Brazil's representatives at the UN.
BOLSONARO MADE BRAZIL ISRAEL'S BEST FRIEND
Under Bolsonaro, Brazil became the closest friendly country to Zionist Israel. Balsonaro waved the Israeli flag in front of everyone while asking for help from the Zionist occupation state during the coronavirus pandemic. During his presidency, he took a different approach to relations with Israel and distanced the country from the anti-Zionist policies of previous left-leaning governments. The effect of Bolsonaro's racist policies aimed at pleasing Israel was also on the agenda many times in United Nations meetings.
THE LABOUR PARTY GOVERNMENTS REACTED HARSHLY TO ISRAEL
Lula's decision to dismiss Freitas, recalled the period of the Labor Party government which Brazil took a tough stance against Israel's involvement in Gaza and terrorist attacks against Palestinians in 2014. In 2014, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the ‘disproportionate’ force exerted on Palestinians by Israel and recalled the Brazilian Ambassador to Tel Aviv. The Brazilian government described what happened in Gaza at that time as a massacre. The following year, the Brazilian government also rejected Dani Dayan's nomination as Israel's Ambassador to Brazil. The reason for this refusal was also very meaningful. Dayan held a senior position on the Yesha Council, which represents illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
THIS REACTION WAS MORE APPROPRIATE FOR MUSLIM LEADERS BUT…
While the decision of the Lula government in Brazil to dismiss its ambassador to Israel raised the morale a little more on the Palestinian front, comments were made: “This meaningful attitude and reaction would suit the leaders of the Islamic world more than a non-Muslim leader.” Israel has conquered the Islamic world in the last three years. Unfortunately, it has trapped many Islamic countries with the ‘Normalization’ agreements it has knitted with a diplomatic and commercial network. The governments of Islamic countries such as Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan, including Turkey, opened embassies in Tel Aviv to develop mutual diplomatic relations with Israel due to some political and commercial interests. Finally, Turkish Ambassador Şakir Özkan Torunlar became the last ambassador from the Islamic world appointed to Israel. It is feared that many more Islamic countries are involved in the trap of "normalization with Muslim countries" pursued by Israel with insidious moves.