An unusual announcement by Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad, that it had helped prevent a “Hezbollah” attack in Brazil, was a new source of tension in the bilateral relationship between the Jewish state and Latin America’s largest country, amid a backdrop of war in the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday, Brazilian authorities arrested two people, whom they did not name, accusing them of “terrorism”. According to reports, the arrests were made as part of an operation to prevent a planned Hezbollah core attack on Brazilian soil. Later in the day, the Mossad thanked Brazilian police and added that “against the backdrop of the war in Gaza,” Hezbollah continues to attack Israeli, Jewish and Western targets.

The announcement by the Mossad, as well as the announcement by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about its cooperation with the Brazilian security services, caused the strong reaction of the Brazilian Minister of Justice. Flavio Gino stressed through social networking sites that “Brazil is a nationally sovereign country” and “no foreign power gives orders to the Brazilian Federal Police.”

Mr. Tzinou did not explicitly deny the announcements by Israeli intelligence or the Israeli prime minister, but appeared to take issue with the timing of their release, their tone and the connection to the war on the Gaza Strip.

“We appreciate the appropriate international cooperation, but we reject any attempt by a foreign authority that thinks it can direct the Brazilian police services or use our investigations to make propaganda or to serve its own political interests”, he stressed and added that the investigation in the country of “it has nothing to do with conflicts at the international level”.

A Reuters news agency source in Brazil’s federal police explained that the justice minister’s reaction was because the Mossad’s announcement gave the impression that Brazilian authorities were obeying Israeli orders and taking sides in the war.

A spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu’s office – to which the spy agency reports – limited himself to saying that he had no comment on Mr. Tzinou’s reaction.

The statements of the Minister of Justice also reflect the confusion and anxiety of officials and citizens in Brazil about the way Israel is acting after the attack of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on its territory on October 7.

Some 30 Brazilians remain stranded in the Gaza Strip, which has been bombarded relentlessly since then, and there is frustration in Brasilia that they have not yet been allowed to leave, according to Reuters government sources. Brazilian diplomacy warned this week that the bilateral relationship could suffer a heavy blow if something were to happen, the same sources said.

Diplomats said they do not understand the reason for the delay and point out that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned the Hamas attack but maintains a balanced stance, while he has called for weeks for a ceasefire to be declared.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen assured his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira that “unexpected closures” of the border had prevented the departure of Brazilian nationals and added that “Brazilians and their families will be on the list of foreigners” who would be allowed to leave yesterday friday

The relations of other Latin American states with Israel have further deteriorated because of the war. Bolivia severed bilateral diplomatic relations; Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors for consultations.

Lula’s government was also reportedly upset that Israel’s ambassador to the country, Daniel Jonsin, during a visit to the Brazilian parliament, was photographed with former president Jair Bolsonaro and other far-right politicians before a one-on-one meeting.

Mr Bolsonaro, a staunch foe of President Lula and a staunch supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, was recently barred from standing until 2030 and faces various criminal charges, including one over the January fan-fueled riots. of not accepting his defeat in last year’s presidential elections.

In an interview with the newspaper O Globo after the operation by the Brazilian police, Mr. Zonsine also stated that if Hezbollah “chose” Brazil, it did so because “there are people who help it” in the country.

The head of the Brazilian Federal Police, Andrey Hodriges, called Ambassador Jonsin’s comments “indecent.” “It was an unpleasant surprise,” he commented, adding “I completely reject them.”