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Weekly Report - 31 July 2014 (WR-14-30)

BRAZIL: Brazil versus Israel

In comparison with her predecessor, Lula da Silva (2003-2011), President DilmaRousseff has acted cautiously in the sphere of foreign relations. Some of that caution, however, was cast aside last week when Itamaraty, the Brazilian foreign office, issued a note condemning Israel’s “disproportionate use of force” in the Gaza Strip, and recalling the Brazilian ambassador in Tel Aviv. In contrast with the diplomatic niceties of other countries’ responses to Operation Protective Edge, including that of Argentina, the note did not refer to Israel’s right to self-defence, nor criticise Hamas’ rocket attacks. Israel responded with a crude attack on Brazil’s global status, with a spokesman labelling the country a “diplomatic dwarf” and making a strained link to Brazil’s 7-1 defeat to Germany in the Fifa World Cup.

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