Brazil President-elect reconsiders Jerusalem embassy move

Brazil’s President-elect Jair Bolsonaro suggested on Tuesday that he may reconsider his plans to move the country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after Egypt postponed a planned visit from the Brazilian foreign minister.

“It is too early for a country to take reprisals against something that has not yet been resolved” Bolsonaro said, referring to plans to relocate the embassy.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that due to calendar issues the planned visit by Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira to Cairo had to be postponed.

However, Brazilian media reported that the decision was in retaliation for Bolsonaro’s controversial plans to relocate the country’s embassy to Jerusalem.

Read: Brazil’s far right president to close Palestinian embassy as Israel hails his victory

The Brazilian Foreign Minister was scheduled to visit Cairo from November 8 to 11.

Yesterday, Palestinians gathered in front of the Brazilian embassy in the West Bank city of Ramallah, calling on Bolsonaro not to move the embassy.

Last Thursday Bolsonaro reiterated his election promise to move his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after officially taking office.