Lula Defeats Bolsonaro in Runoff, Maintaining Brazil's Diplomatic Stance on Israel
The Workers' Party leader won 51.79% of the vote, preventing a planned move of the Brazilian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
By Ethan Cook ·
Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva retained the Brazilian presidency after defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in the October runoff election. The left-wing leader from the Workers' Party secured 51.79% of valid votes, while the center-right senator from the Liberal Party received 48.21%. Bolsonaro stated he did not accept the results, though no clear mechanism for a challenge has emerged.
The outcome pauses a planned shift in Brazilian foreign policy regarding Israel. Bolsonaro had pledged a close diplomatic partnership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and cultivated ties with the Israeli government. Lula, by contrast, has criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza. This victory keeps Brazil aligned with its current diplomatic posture rather than pivoting toward the pro-Israel trend seen in several other Latin American nations.
In June 2026, Bolsonaro outlined his intentions during a meeting with Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires. He declared that Brazil would move its embassy to Jerusalem and appoint a new ambassador in 2027. During the same event, he praised the country's 120,000 Jewish residents, describing them as among the brightest professionals in medicine, industry, science, culture, and business.
Tensions between Brazil and Israel have risen in recent years. In January 2024, Lula's government supported South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. In February 2024, Lula compared the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to the Holocaust. The Brazilian Jewish umbrella organization CONIB condemned the comparison as a distortion that offended Holocaust victims and their descendants. The Holocaust Museum of Buenos Aires also criticized the remarks.
Bolsonaro finished ahead of Lula in the first round of voting on October 4. The following day, Netanyahu sent a message on X congratulating Bolsonaro and expressing hope for restoring friendship between the two nations. The Israeli leader wrote that he looked forward to restoring the extraordinary friendship between Israel and Brazil.
Lula's win stands out against a regional backdrop of strengthening ties with Israel. Argentine President Javier Milei, elected in 2023, has made support for Israel central to his policy and meets with families of hostages abducted in the October 7, 2023, raid. Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira, elected in 2025, restored diplomatic relations that his predecessor had severed. Honduran President Nasry Asfura, also elected in 2025, formally recognized Israel's new ambassador.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast, elected in 2025, is rebuilding ties that had diminished under his predecessor. Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, elected in May 2026, restored severed diplomatic ties, sent his foreign minister to inaugurate an embassy in Jerusalem, and withdrew Colombia from the ICJ genocide case against Israel.
