Lula wins Brazilian runoff, keeping embassy in Tel Aviv

Luiz Inácio da Silva secured the presidency of Brazil after defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in the national runoff.

The Workers Party candidate collected 51.79% of the valid votes, while the Liberal Party senator received 48.21%.

Bolsonaro emerged as the favorite following the first round of voting on Oct. 4. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a congratulatory message to Bolsonaro on X/Twitter the next day, expressing hope for a restored friendship between the two nations.

Before the final vote, Bolsonaro signaled a change in foreign policy direction. Speaking to Jewish leaders in Buenos Aires on June 28, 2026, he announced that Brazil would move its embassy to Jerusalem in 2027. He also described Brazilian Jews as ranking among the brightest in medicine, industry, and science.

Lula's administration has taken a different stance on the region's conflicts. In January 2024, Brazil endorsed South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. The following month, Lula compared the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza to the Holocaust, a remark that triggered a diplomatic crisis. CONIB, Brazil's Jewish umbrella organization, condemned the comparison as a distortion of historical memory.

Bolsonaro stated after the election that he did not accept the results, though it remains unclear how he intends to challenge them. His victory would have aligned Brazil with a trend seen in other Latin American nations since 2023.

Several regional leaders have strengthened ties with Israel in recent years. Argentine President Javier Milei meets with families of hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023, raid. Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz Pereira and Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella both restored diplomatic relations severed by their predecessors. Honduran President Nasry Asfura recognized a new Israeli ambassador, while Chilean President José Antonio Kast is rebuilding diminished ties.