Israel Matzav

Brazil recognizes non-existent state

In a parting shot, as he prepares to leave office, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent a letter to Abu Bluff on Wednesday, declaring that Brazil recognizes the imaginary state of 'Palestine.'

Brazil says it has recognized the state of Palestine based on borders at the time of Israel's 1967 conquest of the West Bank.

The Foreign Ministry says the recognition is in response to a request made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last month to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Silva sent a letter to Abbas on Dec. 1, saying Brazil recognizes Palestine and hopes that the recognition will help lead to states of Israel and Palestine "that will coexist peacefully and in security."

The foreign ministry says that the recognition is "in line with Brazil's historic willingness to contribute to peace between Israel and Palestine."

The announcement was posted Friday on the Foreign Ministry's website.

Brazil's action took the United States by surprise.

"The move surprised us," a U.S. Latin American expert said Friday on condition of anonymity. "What we had heard is that the Brazilians were looking at this and talking to some people in the region about it."

It was his understanding, he added, that the Israelis had only been told of the Brazilian decision on Thursday night, but "even then, it wasn't clear that the letter made a firm commitment" to recognize Palestine. "Now it is."

The Israelis learned of the Brazilian decision Thursday, an Israeli official confirmed.

Brazil was the last of the so-called BRIC nations [Brazil, Russia, India, China] to recognize Palestine. More than 100 countries, including almost all the African and Arab ones, had recognized it, "so it was the natural thing to do," a Brazilian official explained to POLITICO.

Da Silva visited Israel and the 'Palestinian Authority' last March. During that trip, he visited Yasser Arafat's grave, but refused to visit Theodore Herzl's grave.

Labels: Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Palestine

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:16 AM