Israel on Tuesday downgraded its diplomatic ties with Brazil after the South American nation refused to accept Tel Aviv’s nominee for ambassador. According to a Times of Israel report, Brazil declined to approve Israeli diplomat Dani Dayan, leading Israel to withdraw its request and reduce relations to a lower level.
In a statement, Israel’s foreign ministry said, “After Brazil, unusually, refrained from replying to Ambassador [Gali] Dagan’s request for agrément, Israel withdrew the request, and relations between the countries are now being conducted at a lower diplomatic level.”
The move marks another low point in already strained relations between the two countries. Tensions have been high since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been a vocal critic of Israel, going as far as calling its military actions in Gaza “genocide” and comparing them to the Holocaust. These remarks led Israel to declare Lula persona non grata last year.
Diplomatic friction continued when Brazil recalled its ambassador from Israel earlier this year. The diplomat, Frederico Meyer, was later reassigned to Geneva, Switzerland.
Brazil also supported South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Israel of committing genocidal acts in Gaza.
This is not the first time ambassadorial nominations have caused tensions. In 2015, Brazil also rejected Dani Dayan as Israel’s ambassador due to his links with West Bank settlements.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
