Loading ...Israel and Brazil at Impasse Over Ambassador Appointment
Isabel Kershner and Vinod Sreeharsha
The New York Times
Israel and Brazil are still engaged in a diplomatic standoff over Israel’s appointment of a former settler leader as its next ambassador to Brasília, and some Israeli officials signaled recently that they could take action if the appointment was not approved soon.
It has been m ore than four months since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of Dani Dayan, the former chairman of an organization that represents Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and the Brazilian government has yet to approve his nomination, indicating its displeasure.
“We are waiting for a Brazilian answer,” Emmanuel Nahshon, the spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, said on Monday. “It is clear that the longer we don’t get one, it is a kind of negative in diplomatic code. Basically no answer means ‘no,’” he added.
Israeli Ambassador’s Gifts Carry a Message DEC. 22, 2015
The office of Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, would not comment on the situation Monday, but a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to freely discuss a diplomatic dispute, said the government’s silence reflected its objection to the way Israel publicly announced Mr. Dayan’s appointment before Brazil could assent.
“It’s always done in secret because you want to be able to say ‘no,’ if need be, without embarrassment,” the Brazilian official said.
Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, told Israel’s Channel 10 on Sunday that Brazil’s failure to approve Mr. Dayan’s appointment could lead to a downgrading of relations between the two countries. A second-tier diplomat would represent Israel in Brasília, she said.
The previous ambassador, Reda Mansour, returned to Israel last week.
“We are examining options and scenarios, but it would be premature to speculate what happens if the Brazilians do not accept him,” Mr. Nahshon, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said of Mr. Dayan, adding that any decision would be made by Mr. Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s foreign minister. Mr. Dayan is scheduled to meet with Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday.
An immigrant from Argentina who made a fortune running an information technology company, Mr. Dayan is an advocate for expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war.
The settlements are considered a violation of international law by most countries, and the Obama administration has described them as “illegitimate.” Brazil formally recognized Palestinian statehood within the 1967 boundaries of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem five years ago.
Mr. Dayan said in a text message on Monday that he had no intention of giving up the appointment.
“Backing down now means that from now on, hundreds of thousands of Israelis will be second-class citizens,” he wrote, referring to Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
Mr. Dayan said Brazil had come under pressure from Palestinian officials and pro-Palestinian activists who supported an international campaign to change Israel’s policies through boycotts and economic pressure.
Last month the European Union announced a policy that some goods produced on land seized in the 1967 war must be labeled “made in settlements,” provoking an outcry from Israel.
“European and American officials always tell me that they are against settlements but not against settlers,” Mr. Dayan said. “For that reason this case of labeling persons is much more grave than the labeling of products.”
Mr. Dayan, who has criticized some in the Israeli government for being too passive with Brazil, said Israel now seemed to be abandoning its “wait-and-see” approach.
Source: www.nytimes.com