Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro who is hoping to be elected the country’s next president, told the Reuters news agency in an interview that he may visit Israel next month as part of a planned tour abroad.
The trip, he noted, could also include stops in the United States, Argentina, Chile, Europe, and other destinations in the Middle East.
Flavio Bolsonaro, who was elected to Brazil’s Senate in 2018 on the same conservative wave that brought his father to the presidency, told Reuters he aims to pursue a presidential campaign next year centered on smaller government, tax cuts, and privatizations.
“I consider myself, truly, a more centered Bolsonaro,” he said, adding, “I’ve always had this profile: being more moderate, more measured.”
Jair Bolsonaro was a staunch supporter of Israel during his time as president and visited the country in March of 2019.
Bolsonaro often showcases Israeli flag at rallies, and his sons have been seen in the past wearing IDF and Mossad shirts.
His successor as Brazil’s President, Lula da Silva, has presented an anti-Israel stance, having compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler against Jews during World War II.
Later, da Silva announced that the Brazilian ambassador to Israel would be recalled and that Brazil has decided to summon Israel's ambassador to the country for a reprimand.
Despite the uproar over his comments, the Brazilian President doubled down on his rhetoric, writing on X, “What the Israeli government is doing is not war, it is genocide. Children and women are being murdered.”