Palestine's Hamas urges Brazil to revoke J'lem decision

By Mohamed Majid

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro to revoke his decision to relocate the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

“We reject the Brazilian president-elect’s decision to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” leading Hamas member Sami Abu Zuhri tweeted Friday.

He went on to describe the Brazilian leader’s decision as “an affront to the Palestinian people and the Arab and Muslim nation”.

Bolsonaro on Thursday announced his intention to relocate his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once he formally assumes the presidency.

U.S. President Donald Trump sparked a world outcry last December after announcing plans to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel’s capital (which he did earlier this year).

Ever since, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has rejected any U.S. role in the moribund Middle East peace process.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.