Iran fumes over Brazil’s Jerusalem embassy move

Iran denounced  Jair Bolsonaro’s plan to move Brazil’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish state.

By: AP and United with Israel Staff

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi complained Monday that Brazil’s’ upcoming embassy move to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, “will not help with peace, stability, security and retrieval of the Palestinian people’s rights.”

He walked back the rhetoric almost immediately, however, claiming that “relations with Brazil will eventually be continued.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Brazil, commented Sunday it is only a matter of time until Brazil moves its embassy to Jerusalem. Incoming President Jair Bolsonaro said last month that he intends to move the embassy, prompting threats by Arab states to boycott Brazilian goods.

While Jerusalem has remained Israel’s capital for decades, and has been the Jewish people’s capital for thousands of years, the Palestinians continually portray it as central to their refusal to negotiate a peace agreement with Israel.

On Sunday, Netanyahu explained, “Mr. Bolsonaro said, ‘I will move the embassy to Jerusalem. It’s not a question of if, just a question of when.’”

The Israeli leader also referred to U.S. President Donald Trump’s similar course of action.

Indeed, Brazil joins the United States and Guatemala, both of which moved their embassies to Jerusalem.

Netanyahu is slated to attend Bolsonaro’s inauguration ceremony on January 1.