Netanyahu: Dayan is Israel’s Only Candidate as Ambassador to Brazil

Netanyahu is standing up to Brazilian hostility, even if it means downgrading diplomatic ties between the two countries.   

Israel’s Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting that Brazil accept Dani Dayan as Israel’s envoy to the country, and will not offer another candidate, even at the risk of downgrading diplomatic ties with the south-American country.

Israeli media reported Wednesday that Netanyahu has decided to stick with Dayan’s appointment, and if Brazil finally rejects him, Israel’s embassy in Brazil will be staffed with only lower level officials without an official ambassador, effectively downgrading the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Brazil has rejected Dayan, a native of Argentina and an advocate for Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, as Israel’s ambassador to the largest South American country for political reasons.

Commenting earlier in the month on the pending diplomatic crisis, one senior Brazilian Foreign Ministry official said that he did not “see that happening,” meaning he did not see Brazil accepting Dayan’s appointment, and said Israel would have to choose a different envoy.

Over the weekend, some 40 Brazilian diplomats published an open letter calling on their government to reject Dayan’s appointment, claiming Israel has acted “undiplomatically” while pursuing Dayan’s appointment.

Dayan said Netanyahu has encouraged him to push forward with his candidacy, despite Brazil’s opposition. In a radio interview on Wednesday, Dayan said he recently met with Netanyahu. He says the prime minister “asked me to persevere in my candidacy and not to withdraw it, since there are diplomatic repercussions.”

Brazil and Israel have shared tense diplomatic relations since the South American country recognized “Palestine” as a state in 2010. There have been several diplomatic clashes since, including Brazil’s recalling of its ambassador during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014.

By: Max Gelber, United with Israel

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