Bolsonaro uses environmental crime to promote Israel, says researcher.

From Brasil de Fato - In the face of one of the most serious environmental crimes in the country's history, with more than 80 confirmed deaths and hundreds missing in the municipality of Brumadinho (MG), the Bolsonaro government is taking advantage of the situation to promote Israel and strengthen diplomatic ties with a country historically involved in human rights violations against the Palestinian people. This is the interpretation of Marcelo Buzetto, professor of International Relations at the Centro Universitário Fundação Santo André, post-doctoral fellow in Social Sciences, with research in the area of ​​International Politics, and author of the book The Palestinian Question - War, Politics and International Relations, published by Expressão Popular.

Since Sunday (27), 136 Israeli military personnel have been in Brumadinho to participate in search operations for victims of the collapse of the Vale iron ore tailings dam. In addition to 16 tons of equipment, the Israelis also brought sniffer dogs. According to the Israeli ambassador, the team should stay in Brazil for another two days.

In practice, the gesture of help will have little effect on rescue efforts, as Israel's drones, radar, and sonar are not useful for locating bodies buried in mud.

"The Bolsonaro government is trying to use this tragedy politically and, in an opportunistic way, is attempting to portray Israel positively. This arrival of 136 Israeli soldiers is quite suspicious. It is strange that the government made this request or accepted this 'help' without first consulting the Brazilian Armed Forces," analyzes Buzetto.

The strengthening of relations between the Bolsonaro government and Israel has been occurring since the beginning of the new Brazilian government. On January 18th, Bolsonaro awarded the Cruzeiro do Sul medal, the most important honor of the Brazilian government, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of corruption and involvement in bribery scandals. In 2015, more than 108 people signed a petition on the British Parliament's website to arrest Netanyahu upon his arrival in London for committing war crimes against Palestine.

The decoration, awarded by the Brazilian government, was presented on December 28th, when the Prime Minister came for the inauguration, but the official announcement was made on January 18th with its publication in the Official Gazette of the Union. The awarding of the Southern Cross medal is an exclusive decision of the president for heads of state. In previous administrations, the medal has been awarded to the Argentinian Che Guevara, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and the South African Nelson Mandela.

On Saturday (26), a day after the dam rupture, President Bolsonaro posted on Twitter about the offer of help in the search for missing persons in Brumadinho and added: "We accept and appreciate yet another Israeli technology at the service of humanity."

Israelis began assisting in the search on Monday (28), more than 72 hours after the dam broke.

"It would be possible to organize a national mobilization to coordinate a volunteer effort involving the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), the Movement for Popular Sovereignty in Mining (MAM), local associations, support from residents, churches, and the Armed Forces. It's very strange to bring Israel into this," said Buzetto.

According to Buzetto, the far-right government lacks independence and sovereignty and prioritizes relationships based on economic and political interests.

"The Bolsonaro government is serving very powerful economic interests. Interests of countries like Israel and the US, but especially the interests of the Israeli government," he said.

The official government website published several articles highlighting the presence of Israelis in Minas Gerais. Even the arrival of the plane with the solidarity mission was documented.

"It is the unnecessary promotion of a murderous and genocidal government that does not respect human rights. Israel practices and promotes environmental, social, and human crimes every day. It promotes genocide, adopts a policy of ethnic cleansing and apartheid against the Palestinian people," he stated.

In an interview with Brasil de Fato, Ahmad Shehada, president of the Brazil-Palestine Institute, stated that what should have been humanitarian aid became a "political issue." "People have to help each other on these occasions, but the symbolic assistance that came from Israel, I think, was not necessary for Brazil. I think the action, more than humanitarian, was political."

Shehada, who expressed solidarity with the victims and families impacted by Vale's crime, spoke about the role the Israeli army plays in his daily life: "[The arrival of the Israeli army] was only to embellish or improve the image of the terrorist, criminal army, the army of the Israeli occupation, which kills children and takes the lives of Palestinian civilians. Just today, this army killed a 16-year-old girl in Jerusalem. In Gaza, in 2014, they killed 500 children in just a few days."

During the transition period, Bolsonaro promised to move the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following the lead of US President Donald Trump. This decision was condemned by a large majority in the United Nations General Assembly.

Luggage

The Institutional Security Office of the Bolsonaro government informed Brasil de Fato in a statement that it participated in the coordination, with other government agencies, of initial support "upon the arrival of the Israelis," however, it did not respond regarding the equipment that was brought or the specialization of the foreign military personnel who are part of the mission.

"The presence of Israeli military personnel in the Southern Cone has increased in recent years. Israeli military personnel are in Argentina and Chile. It is well known that Israel is experiencing a situation of international political and diplomatic isolation. There is a possibility that progressive forces fighting in defense of the Palestinian people will unite more and more," said Buzetto.

The professor also mentioned that Israel recently bombed Syria and participated, through its intelligence service, in the coup d'état in Honduras.