Abstract
For many decades, the Brazilian State has supported the Palestinian position. In 2010, it recognised the Palestinian State within the 1967 borders. The situation drastically changed with former president Jair Bolsonaro’s rise to power. Bolsonaro openly pledged to Neo-Charismatic Evangelical denominations to transfer the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and unconditionally support the Israeli annexation of the Holy City at the expense of Palestinian rights. Such a step would mean a historical breach from the Brazilian approach, according to which Jerusalem’s final status would be conditional on peace negotiations for a two-state solution. Bolsonaro’s administration retreated from actions yet pledged to transfer the Embassy. This study applies qualitative interviews and data collection as methodology. The author interviews three Brazilian solidarity activists challenging the current foreign policy of Brazil. Our goal is to understand why and which role (if any) Brazilian activists or institutions had in the government's retraction about the Embassy transfer. Were the pledges and ensuing waiver a personal decision or a conscious foreign policy? Jair Bolsonaro is a far-right, authoritarian politician with dictatorial proclivities. Bolsonaro himself and his restricted inner circle were responsible for the decision – although under intense pressure. It was not a government decision but a presidential one.
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