Brazil postpones Israel arms deal for second time over Gaza genocide

Chief Adviser to the President of Brazil, Celso Amorim, has postponed for the second time the signing of a contract with Israel’s largest military manufacturer Elbit Systems for 36 armoured vehicles with cannons.

Amorim said the decision was made in compliance with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recommendation “not to cooperate with Israel on the military side” over the Gaza genocide.

In May, Brazil’s Defence Minister Jose Mucio Monteiro postponed signing the purchase contract for a period of 60 days, with Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo reported at the time that the deal involved the import of the self-propelled vehicles for up to 750 million Brazilian reals ($145 million).

Amorim said in statements to CNN that “Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinians, and I find this purchase process complicated.”

“First, the International Court decision recommends not cooperating with Israel in this military aspect, in addition, we must wait until this state of instability in the conflict with Gaza ends,” he added, stressing that “the current [Israeli] government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, has acted in a manner that deserves reprehension from a military point of view, so relying militarily on Israel is a sensitive matter for us.”

Amorim stressed that “the political and diplomatic aspect of the agreements is very important, and it is a component that must be constantly evaluated, and it is not just about technology and price.”

Brazilian media sources reported that the Brazilian defence minister is negotiating with the Israelis to overcome the suspension decision by manufacturing the armoured vehicles in the company’s factory in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. A national production process would encourage President Lula da Silva to approve the deal, sources said.

The suspension in May came after Jewish Voices for Liberation and Amnesty International sent a letter to da Silva to request Brazil impose an embargo on arms deals with Israel.

“Seven months after the start of Israel’s most recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave has been transformed into a wasteland by the Israel Defence Forces,” the signatories pointed out in their letter.

“There is an urgent need for effective action by the Brazilian government to stop the ongoing offensive and mobilise the international system to take collective measures within international humanitarian and other international laws.”

In February, Brazil expelled the Israeli ambassador and recalled its own envoy from Tel Aviv over Gaza genocide.

READ: Brazil postpones Israel arms deal due to Gaza genocide