Brazil's reputation is drowning in the Jordan River.

After exposing Brazil to ridicule in the US and Chile, Bolsonaro went to Israel on yet another psychedelic adventure. His fascination with dictatorships, authoritarian regimes, and violent deaths is so evident that he arrived in the Holy Land, set aside the Messiah, and posed for a photo armed with a machine gun. This image is truly disturbing and reflects all the ideological incoherence of the Bolsonaro government, which consists of a difficulty in understanding politics and the instability of the Brazilian president. It is a chaotic government, incapable of presenting concrete proposals to resolve or confront the country's multiple crises.

Bolsonaro centralizes institutional narratives through his ideological dyslexia. This week, the President exposed the inner workings of his government by visiting the Western Wall, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was a political sacrilege attributed to rural landowners. There is no doubt about the Schmittian character of the Bolsonaro government, a government that sees those who think differently as political enemies to be eliminated in some way. Bolsonaro has chosen the PT (Workers' Party) and the left as his enemies and acts recklessly, contradicting rules of international law, established historical truths, and attacking common sense mercilessly.

His absurd actions in Israel have generated speculation about the purposes of this trip and the benefits that could accrue to Brazil. From the first moment Bolsonaro declared the possible transfer of the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, there have been movements demonstrating the discontent of Palestinians and the Arab world in general.

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's joke last Tuesday (02) about the request for retraction from the Islamic movement Hamas – “I want you to blow yourselves up” – demonstrates that ideological incoherence has passed from father to son. It is not surprising that after this complete tragicomedy, the President has to retract and order his son to delete the tweet, all in typical Bolsonaro fashion. The only possible unity in the government's behavior is the promotion of chaos.

Not even Donald Trump was as bold as the Brazilian President in Jerusalem. His visit to the Western Wall was discreet from a diplomatic standpoint, as the President of the United States denied Netanyahu's request to accompany him. Despite emphatically reaffirming American support for the State of Israel, Bolsonaro's idol was careful not to cause an unnecessary diplomatic crisis with the Arabs. Trump is a true scourge that has befallen the intelligence and tranquility of the West. But he thinks, or allows others to think for him, when making certain strategic decisions for American interests.

UN Security Council Resolution 478/1980 considers the establishment of diplomatic missions in Jerusalem to be a violation of international law. This is a territory disputed between Israel and Palestine since almost time immemorial. The international order seeks to maintain some minimum balance in the region because the geopolitical elements surrounding the conflict have repercussions practically worldwide. Even if it is not an embassy, ​​the establishment of a business office in Jerusalem, where there is no business, as journalist Leonardo Attuch constantly points out, is so inappropriate that it displeases all the actors involved, whether in Israel, Palestine, or Brazil.

But the visit couldn't end simply with the establishment of a business office in Jerusalem. Jair Bolsonaro continues his traditional nonsense and claims that Nazism was a left-wing political movement, demonstrating perfect alignment with the Brazilian Foreign Minister and the flat-earthers who hold positions in his government. More than demonstrating his complete ignorance of such well-known historical facts, this statement is a result of his utter irresponsibility and verbosity.  

Bolsonaro's inappropriate remarks during his visit to Israel may intensify the Brazilian economic crisis, but they could also lead to the antipathy of armed groups fighting for or supporting the liberation of Palestine. Brazilians hope that the President's irresponsibility will not turn Brazil into a target for terrorist attacks stemming from political and religious fundamentalism, something unprecedented in our history. Bolsonaro is treading paths that are unfamiliar to him. His inability to conduct the country's foreign and domestic policy demonstrates that his place is not in the Presidency. His association with the Rio de Janeiro militias caused less damage to the people of Rio, to Brazil, and to the world.

Free Lula Now!