Israel to Brazil: It’s Dayan or Nobody

Months of wrangling over the appointment of Israel’s new ambassador to Brazil appear to be over: Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that Dani Dayan’s name will not be withdrawn.

Until now it was hoped that either Brazil would relent and in the end accept Dayan despite his background as a leader in Yehudah and Shomron, or that Israel would back down, offer a substitute candidate and post Dayan elsewhere, like New York or Los Angeles.

However, according to media reports, the standoff has not been resolved, and diplomatic relations with Brazil will be conducted on a lower level than ambassador, which presages a long-term strain in the relationship.

Earlier this week, a group of 40 retired Brazilian diplomats signed a statement against the appointment of Dayan, citing that Israel had bypassed protocol because there was no prior communication with the Brazilian Foreign Ministry or any presentation of his credentials for an agreement.