Lula Edges Out Pro-Israel Bolsonaro in Dramatic Brazil Runoff

Lula has emerged as one of Israel’s harshest critics among major world leaders.

By United with Israel Staff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly won reelection Sunday, defeating strongly pro-Israel conservative Flávio Bolsonaro in a dramatic runoff that ended with Bolsonaro refusing to recognize the results and vowing to challenge them.

With all votes counted, the 80-year-old leftist president received 51.79% of valid ballots, compared with 48.21% for Bolsonaro, a margin of roughly 4.4 million votes, according to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.

The victory gives Lula an unprecedented fourth term as president and represents a remarkable political comeback after Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, finished ahead of him in the first round earlier this month.

The bitterly contested election took another dramatic turn on Sunday when voting was extended by two hours following complaints that transportation problems had prevented some voters from reaching polling stations.

Lula had asked the courts to extend voting, citing reported transportation problems in São Paulo and northeastern cities. The unprecedented decision came shortly after the polls had originally been scheduled to close.

Bolsonaro refused to concede following the result and said he would seek to have the election annulled, arguing that the extension had changed the rules of the contest. His campaign, however, had also sought additional voting time in parts of southern Brazil earlier in the day.

Beyond Brazil’s deeply polarized domestic politics, the election also presented voters with two dramatically different approaches toward Israel.

Lula has emerged as one of Israel’s harshest critics among major world leaders.

During the Gaza war, Lula repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” and compared Israel’s campaign against Hamas to Adolf Hitler’s extermination of the Jews, remarks that sparked outrage in Israel.

His government also downgraded diplomatic relations with Israel and backed South Africa’s genocide case against the Jewish state at the International Court of Justice.

Bolsonaro campaigned on an almost completely opposite foreign policy.

He pledged to restore full ambassador-level relations with Israel, move Brazil’s embassy to Jerusalem and align the country more closely with the Jewish state. Bolsonaro also openly emphasized his support for Israel during the campaign and cultivated a close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The choice was particularly significant because Brazil appeared poised to become the latest country swept up in a broader political realignment across Latin America.

A series of right-wing election victories has transformed Israel’s position in a region where several governments had become sharply hostile toward Jerusalem following the Oct. 7 massacre and subsequent Gaza war.

Argentina under President Javier Milei has become one of Israel’s strongest international supporters, while political changes in Colombia, Chile, Bolivia and Honduras have also led to warmer relations with Jerusalem. Bolivia restored diplomatic ties, Chile and Honduras returned ambassadors to Israel, while Colombia’s new government has moved sharply away from the hostile policies of its predecessor.

The changing landscape had raised hopes that Brazil, Latin America’s largest country, could be next.

Bolsonaro’s surprise first-place finish in the opening round appeared to put such a dramatic shift within reach. His victory would have placed another major Latin American power firmly within the increasingly pro-Israel bloc emerging across the region.

Bolsonaro ultimately fell short, but his strong showing reflected the same rightward movement already reshaping politics across Latin America.

For Israel, Lula’s victory represents a setback in that regional transformation but not necessarily a reversal of it.