On Standby

Published in Folha de São Paulo
(Brazil) on 9 Feb 2019
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Domitila Olivé. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
Relocating an embassy is the kind of promise the government would rather forget.

Apparently, the idea of relocating the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is falling within the realm of campaign promises the government would rather see forgotten.

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and home to its executive branch and their parliament, the Knesset. However, because the city is still seen as the object of conflict with the Palestinians, who also claim it as their capital, essentially all nations keep their embassies in Tel Aviv, as they wait for a definitive peace deal.

Successive Israeli administrations handled this situation well, without demanding from even their closest allies that embassies be relocated. It was in response to their public that, first, Donald Trump, and later, Jair Bolsonaro, promised to relocate their embassies.

Both wished to please groups of evangelical supporters, who, for theological reasons, believe that a Jewish-controlled Jerusalem is a precondition for the return of Christ.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration obviously appreciated the unexpected gesture. The Islamic countries, however, viewed these attitudes as biased toward Israel.

The United States, which is still the major global power, can go forward with the relocation absent any fear of diplomatic or commercial retaliation. Clearly, Brazil does not possess the same status. It is subject to retaliation. For example, there has been talk of halting the import of goods such as halal meat, which is slaughtered according to Islamic ritual.

Actually, the pressure for the Bolsonaro administration to give up the relocation has already begun. This was precisely the reason for the meeting, last Wednesday (Feb. 6) between Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavasoglu, in Washington.

Odds are the president will, even without explicitly renouncing the promise he shouted from rooftops, put the relocation on standby.

After all, finding land suitable for an embassy can take a long time. This seems like the best solution at this point, but it will not stop conjuring up a small electoral deception.


Transferência de embaixada é o tipo de promessa que o governo gostaria de ver esquecida

A ideia de transferir a embaixada do Brasil em Israel de Tel Aviv para Jerusalém caminha, ao que parece, para se enquadrar no tipo de promessa de campanha que o governo gostaria de ver esquecida.

Em Jerusalém se encontram a sede do Executivo israelense e a Knesset, o Parlamento. Mas, como a cidade é objeto de disputa com os palestinos, que também a reivindicam como sua capital, praticamente todas as nações mantêm suas embaixadas em Tel Aviv, à espera de um acordo de paz definitivo.

Sucessivos governos israelenses aceitaram bem essa situação, sem cobrar nem de seus aliados mais próximos que transferissem suas representações. Foi para atender a apelos de seus públicos internos que primeiro Donald Trump e depois Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) prometeram a mudança de embaixada.

Ambos quiseram agradar a grupos de eleitores evangélicos que, por razões teológicas, acreditam que uma Jerusalém sob controle dos judeus seja precondição para a volta de Cristo à Terra.

O governo de Binyamin Netanyahu, é claro, apreciou o inesperado presente. Já os países islâmicos viram na atitude uma injustificada tomada de posição pró-Israel.

Os Estados Unidos, ainda a principal potência do planeta, podem proceder à mudança sem temer retaliações diplomáticas ou comerciais. O Brasil, obviamente, não goza do mesmo estatuto. Está sujeito a represálias —fala-se, por exemplo, no corte de importações de produtos como as carnes “halal”, abatidas segundo os rituais islâmicos.

Já começaram, por sinal, as pressões para que o governo Bolsonaro desista da intenção. Foi exatamente esse o motivo do encontro, na última quarta-feira (6), do chanceler Ernesto Araújo com seu homólogo da Turquia, Mevlüt Çavasoglu, em Washington.

O mais provável neste momento é que o presidente, mesmo sem renunciar explicitamente à promessa alardeada aos quatro ventos, a coloque na geladeira.

Afinal, encontrar um terreno adequado para uma embaixada pode demorar muito tempo. Essa se afigura a melhor solução a essa altura, mas não deixará de constituir um pequeno estelionato eleitoral.
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