Brazil’s policy toward Israel and Palestine in Dilma Rousseff and Michel Temer’s administrations: have there been any shifts?

Tullo Vigevani,Karina Stange Calandrin

doi:10.1590/0034-7329201900109

Abstract

Abstract This paper analyzes Brazil’s relationship with Israel and Palestine during the Rousseff (2011–2016) and Temer (2016–2018) administrations. We consider the political and economic crises in Brazil since 2014, and their consequences in foreign policy. Our question is whether there was room for changes, and we attempt to understand if there were conditions for a shift in Brazilian foreign policy for the Middle East. Therefore, our hypothesis is that in this specific period, besides public declarations, there were no deep changes. We conclude that foreign policy was conditioned by structural objectives, such as economic interests, the relationship with Arab and Jewish communities, and Brazilian international projection.

Highlights

C onceptual discussion on foreign policy decision-making is an important issue in International Relations’ studies
This article aims to understand the tension between Brazilian interests – as far as policies announced by administrations are concerned – and the structural limitations that lead to permanent tension between stated interests and pragmatic realities
Examining more closely the data, i.e., Brazil’s overall exports (Table 4), Brazil’s exports to the Middle East (Table 5), and to Israel (Table 6), we see that the evolution from 2000 to 2017 concerning imports is as follows: overall imports grew by 169%; imports from the Middle East by 153%; and from Israel by 150%

Summary

Introduction

C onceptual discussion on foreign policy decision-making is an important issue in International Relations’ studies. Foreign policy formulation can be understood as the arrangement of the state’s internal and external forces. In this research we will consider the last two levels, such as the importance of internal elements, with emphasis on formal institutions and groups of influence. We cannot ignore external elements, such as the influence of central countries in the international system. These topics are not our focus in this paper.

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion