Israeli FM avoids Lula

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s “mission of peace” in the Middle East has hit a diplomatic pothole.

On Monday the Brazilian leader gave a special address at the Knesset where he called for a renewed push against violence in the region as well as “a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.” Sadly one key member of Israel’s government opted to ignore Lula:

Israel's foreign minister (Avigdor Lieberman) confirmed Tuesday that he boycotted meetings with the visiting Brazilian president, claiming he refused to visit the grave of the founder of modern Zionism...

Lieberman said he was upset at Silva's decision not to visit late Zionist leader Theodor Herzl's grave, especially while agreeing to lay a wreath at the tomb of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday.

"A person who is not prepared to visit Herzl's grave but is visiting Arafat's grave, I don't accept that," Lieberman told the Israeli news Web site YNet. He claimed the snub breached protocol.

A Brazilian government official anonymously told the AP that Lieberman’s claim was “odd” in that other heads of state recently visiting Israel skipped stopping at Herzl's grave. That explanation did not stop the World Zionist Organization treasurer to call Lula’s gesture “an insult to Israel’s citizens.”

As part of his tour Lula is expected to meet with Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas before traveling later this week to the West Bank and Jordan.

Image- AP (“Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, lays a wreath at the Hall of Remembrance at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, Tuesday, March 16, 2010.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Ha’aretz, AP, Jerusalem Post, LAHT

Israeli FM off on diplomatic tour of Americas

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will begin his 10-day tour of four Latin American countries in order to promote Israeli interests.

Lieberman will stop in Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Argentina with the hope of repairing ties that have been strained since the offensive on Gaza earlier this year. In addition, he will travel with several Israeli businessmen with the aim of promoting trade and commerce between Israel and the Americas.

Lieberman’s tour will not stop in countries like Venezuela and Bolivia that have close ties with Iran- a country viewed as a “main threat” to Isreal. Furthermore, Lieberman will emphasize claims that militant group Hezbollah has infiltrated South America; a claim that has been seen as doubtful by some in the region:

Lieberman was set to leave late Monday. During his trip, Lieberman will tackle the Iranian issue with South American leaders, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said, and chiefly the activities of the Iranian-backed Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

"Israel, along with many others, is concerned about Iran's infiltration into Latin America, primarily through Hezbollah, and this will definitely be an issue discussed between the Israeli foreign minister and his counterparts," Ayalon said...

The South American nations deny there is a problem with terrorism in the area.

Image- AP
Online Sources- AP, AFP, PRESS TV, JTA, the Latin Americanist

Israeli “diplomatic offensive” targets LatAm

Iran has recently forged closer ties with several Latin American governments such as Venezuela. This has alarmed some U.S. foreign policy wonks as well as the Obama administration. Such concerns have also worried the Israeli government who, according to an article in the local press, is preparing to counterbalance Iran’s influence in the Americas:

In the coming months Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will launch a diplomatic offensive against Iran in African and Latin American countries, believing that efforts must be invested in these continents as well, and not just in the United States and Europe…

"I attribute great importance to these countries. We shouldn't invest only in the US and Europe. The fight against Iran's nuclearization should be expanded," Lieberman explained to his staff, adding that it is was even more important today to strengthen the ties with African and Latin American countries, in light of Iran's growing influence in those regions.

Lieberman didn’t say how the “diplomatic offensive” will promote Israel’s standing in the region which took a big hit over the Gaza offensive months ago.

Image- BBC
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Ynetnews