Lula’s reelection in Brazil puts the brakes on Latin America’s pro-Israel shift

Brazilians elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as their president once again, narrowly defeating the center-right senator Flavio Bolsonaro. This victory signals that Latin America's trend of closer ties with Israel may be slowing down. Lula, a leader of the left-wing Workers Party, garnered 51.79% of the valid votes compared to Bolsonaro's 48.21%.

Bolsonaro had advocated for a strong diplomatic relationship with Israel, often meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Lula has expressed strong disapproval of Israel's military operations in Gaza. Despite Bolsonaro's claims that he would not accept the election result, it remains uncertain how he would attempt to contest it.

In January 2024, Lula's administration endorsed South Africa's decision to launch a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. A month later, Lula drew a direct comparison between the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the Holocaust, which led to a diplomatic dispute between Brazil and Israel. The Brazilian Jewish organization, CONIB, condemned Lula's remarks and the Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires also criticized them.

Sen. Bolsonaro vowed to strengthen Brazil's ties with Israel in the future, stating that Brazil would re-establish its embassy in Jerusalem by 2027.

Bolsonaro, who lauded Brazilian Jews as among the brightest in various fields, expressed his support for them in a meeting with Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires on June 28, 2026. The following day, Netanyahu sent a congratulatory message on X/Twitter to Bolsonaro, expressing his hope to restore the "extraordinary friendship" between Israel and Brazil.

In recent years, several Latin American countries have moved closer to Israel, including Argentina, Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, and Colombia, reversing policies from their previous administrations.