Israeli ambassador forced to leave Brazil without a successor

In January 2025, Israel’s cabinet nominated Gali Dagan as the new ambassador, but Brazil has yet to issue the official agrément (formal diplomatic acceptance). Zonshine’s term ends in July, leaving the embassy without an ambassador.

At a farewell ceremony attended by conservative religious and political figures, Zonshine acknowledged that relations between Israel and Brazil are not at their best.

This situation reflects the critical foreign policy stance of President Lula’s government toward Israel. Statistics show that since Lula took office, his government has criticized Israel 64 times and supported it only 10 times, including during the recent conflict with Iran, when Brazil accused Israel of initiating the war.

These developments highlight the deterioration of diplomatic relations between Brazil and Israel, rooted in the political rift between Lula’s leftist government and Netanyahu’s right-wing leadership.