The Brazilian diplomatic office in Ramallah, which represents the country with the Palestinian authorities, took a traveling consulate to the Gaza Strip. The mission – which included Ambassador Alessandro Candeas, in addition to other employees – served 9 Brazilians during their passage on June 21 and 22. There are less than a hundred Brazilians in this impoverished territory, besieged by Israel and Egypt. The traveling consulate also assisted 25 Palestinians who applied for visas to Brazil.
The ambassador also visited Campo Brasil, in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. It was there that Brazil maintained, from 1957 to 1967, the Suez Battalion. Under UN mandate, the country participated in a peace mission to monitor the border between Egypt and Israel and protect the civilian population. Brazil had thousands of soldiers in the field, and seven of them died during the period. In 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel occupied the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. The Brazilian diplomatic office produced an explanatory video during the visit.
The mission is a reflection of the growing engagement of the diplomatic office in Ramallah, which has carried out a series of other activities to bring the Palestinian population closer. Brazil has an excellent reputation, in part for the memories of its battalion.
The positive Brazilian image is also related to the country’s historical support for the Palestinians. This closeness was evident in 2014, when Brasilia harshly criticized Israel for its bombings in the Gaza Strip. The author of this very Oriental blog was there, covering the conflict, and was approached by Palestinians who were grateful for the attitude of the Brazilian government. Both Palestinian factions – rivals Hamas and Fatah – publicly celebrated the position of Itamaraty.
