Celso Amorim defends 'minimal relationship' with Israel, veto of ambassador and suspension of free trade agreement.

247 - Former Foreign Minister and current Special Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic for International Affairs, Celso Amorim, stated in an interview with Folha de S. Paul Brazil should not accept the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador. According to him, in light of the Palestinian genocide perpetrated by Israel in the Gaza Strip, relations between the two countries should be maintained "at a minimum level."

Amorim is one of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (PT) main advisors on foreign policy issues and, during the interview, argued that Brazil should become a party to the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses Benjamin Netanyahu's government of genocide. "The correct position today, in my opinion, is for us to join South Africa's genocide lawsuit; maintain relations [with Israel] at a minimum level and be very strict on the free trade agreement, perhaps even suspending it," he stated.

Direct criticism of the Netanyahu government - In distinguishing the Israeli government from the Jewish people and the Israeli state, Amorim was emphatic: "It is necessary to distinguish between the Jewish people, who have made immense contributions to humanity; the State of Israel, which has the right to exist and defend itself against terrorism or whatever; and the Netanyahu government, which is committing genocide."

Brazil's critical stance, according to him, is not isolated. "Chile has already broken off diplomatic relations with Israel. Ireland and Slovenia have had many restrictions—many European countries as well—because Israel is committing genocide," he said.

Regarding the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador to Brazil, Amorim confirmed that "the new [ambassador] has not received the agrément, nor will he receive it. There's no reason for him to receive it."

Gaza, sanctions and global risks - Amorim condemned both the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel's disproportionate reaction. "It's very bad to kill 2 people, it's terrible, it's horrible and condemnable. But to kill 60, 70... women and children in humanitarian lines, is unthinkable."

When questioned about possible retaliation from the United States should Brazil expand its actions against Israel, including joining the case at the ICJ, Amorim downplayed the risks: "If you arrest an American drug trafficker here, you can say that this could harm relations with the United States. But I am acting within the law. In this case, international law."

He also described as "totally absurd" the possibility of US sanctions against ministers of the Supreme Federal Court, such as Alexandre de Moraes.

BRICS and resistance to Trump's unilateralism Celso Amorim also gave an assessment of the direction of BRICS, whose summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro. He stressed that, even with important absences — such as that of the President of China, Xi Jinping — the group remains relevant and adapted to a new geopolitical configuration. "I think the basic objectives remain the same. Now, the world is changing, and you have to adapt a little to reality so that the group continues to be relevant," he explained.

The former foreign minister also highlighted that BRICS has defended the multilateral system—which, according to him, is now threatened by the unilateral actions of US President Donald Trump. “It is surprising that the world's greatest power, which created the multilateral system, has distanced itself and abandoned it,” he stated. Amorim criticized what he called "the greatest threat to the current world order": measures taken without the backing of multilateral organizations, such as the UN and the WTO, which he claims are being undermined by US foreign policy.

Relationship with China and internal challenges of BRICS - Despite lamenting Xi Jinping's absence from the BRICS summit, Amorim downplayed the diplomatic impact of the decision. "We had two meetings [between President Lula and him] in six months. We can't say we're offended. But his absence is definitely felt," he stated.

Regarding the potential low turnout at the meeting, Amorim pointed out that the absence of leaders such as Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Russia's Vladimir Putin has understandable reasons: the former because he is directly involved in a war zone and the latter because he is the subject of an indictment by the International Criminal Court.

In defense of peace and multilateralism. At the end of the interview, Amorim warned that replacing multilateralism with unilateral actions exacerbates the risks of a global war. "If you start applying unilateral rules, I think you are, let's say, deepening the risks of a world war."