By Alexander J. Apfel/TPS
The Brazilian government has temporarily stonewalled Israel’s nomination of former Head of the Judea and Samaria Council, Danny Dayan for the position of Israeli ambassador to the Brazil.
The political dispute had already been underway for several weeks but drew greater attention as Brazilian politicians began fiercely voicing their objection. Member of the Brazilian parliament, Carlos Morran, publicly denounced the move saying that to accept Dayan’s nomination would be akin to accepting a commander of a concentration camp.
“Israel nominated as ambassador to Brazil the leader of the settler movement. This is the same kind of thing as if Germany were to send an ambassador to Brazil who was a commander of a concentration camp,” Morran said.
The political debacle was largely kept under wraps until Dayan took the matter to the press in order to clarify that the issue had arisen not as a unilateral step undertaken by the Brazilian government, but as the result of an assault launched by the BDS.
“There is a slight misconception here. People think that it is a unilateral step taken by the Brazilian president. But this is a classic BDS move and Saeb Barakat is seeking to thwart my nomination,” Dayan said.
Adding that he did not take the rejection as a personal affront, Dayan stated that he was concerned for the precedent it set in relation to future potential nominees who live in Judea and Samaria communities.
“I am afraid that the question now is whether the next resident of the communities who is thought to be an appropriate candidate for a diplomatic position will be eligible to stand or if we will now agree to the idea that 700,000 Israelis will automatically be disqualified.”
Dayan further compared the rejection to the EU’s recent decision to label Israeli products which originate from Judea and Samaria. “We have to decide what to do. I believe that just as Israel responded angrily to the labelling of products, we also have to respond to the labelling people because labelling people is even more dangerous than products,” Dayan warned.
In response to the rejection, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting with Foreign Minister Director-General, Dore Gold to discuss the most appropriate course of action.