Recently, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president-elect, has considered moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is a decision supported by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Tel Aviv is the second most populous city in Israel following Jerusalem. Its known as the economic and technological center of the country. The ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis has raised questions as to whether or not the move to Jerusalem would be a good decision. For years, the two have fought over who should control the land known as the holiest sites to their religion. Originally, Jerusalem was split to accommodate both the Palestinians and Israelis; but Israel views all of Jerusalem as its capital. As you can imagine, Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi, wasn’t pleased when he heard of Brazil’s potential plans for the future. He expressed his opinion on the topic stating that if Brazil were to relocate their embassy, “it will only destabilise security and stability in the region.” Around six months ago, the U.S relocated their embassy to Jerusalem, which was followed by many other countries like Guatemala and Paraguay. This was the first time President Trump acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. At the time, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, celebrated Trump’s decision. Along with the U.S, Brazil is also considering moving their embassy to Jerusalem due to the religious ties the capital has to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Not only is Jerusalem the capital, but it has proven to hold many religious and political ties throughout history. In my opinion, Brazil should have as much of a right as any other country does to relocate its embassy. Currently 86 embassies resign in Tel Aviv while only two are located in Jerusalem. As many look to make the move towards Jerusalem, it wouldn’t be a surprise if that number were to increase.
