Netanyahu Brazil-bound for Bolsanaro inauguration

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu headed toward Brazil on Thursday, on the first trip by an Israeli premier to the South American country, where he will attend the inauguration of incoming president Jair Bolsonaro.

Netanyahu will also hold talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the January 1 inauguration in Brasilia, an Israeli official told AFP.

Netanyahu is due to meet Bolsonaro on Friday afternoon in Rio de Janeiro, the official said on condition of anonymity.

"This visit to the biggest country in Latin America will strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries," Netanyahu's office said in a statement. 

He will also hold talks with the presidents of Chile and Honduras while there, among other officials, and meet with members of the Jewish community and a pro-Israel Christian group.

He will fly back after the inauguration in the early hours of January 2, the official said.

Bolsonaro has said he wants to follow in the footsteps of United States President Donald Trump and move his country's Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

Netanyahu welcomed the announcement and called it "historic" - though Bolsonaro later backtracked by saying "it hasn't been decided yet".

Doing so would please his evangelical Christian support base, but would run the risk of provoking commercial retaliation from Arab states, some of which are major importers of Brazilian meat.

Trump's move broke with decades of precedent that the status of the disputed city should be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Netanyahu's meeting with Pompeo is sure to include discussions on Syria following Trump's decision to withdraw the 2,000 US troops there.

Israel is concerned that its main enemy Iran will have a freer hand in the neighbouring country following the withdrawal.

Iran is supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war, and Netanyahu has pledged to stop Tehran from entrenching itself militarily next door.

Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, last year made the first trip by a sitting Israeli prime minister to Latin America, visiting Argentina, Colombia and Mexico.

He has sought to expand Israel's diplomatic reach through technology and defence exports, and has worked to persuade more countries to vote in his country's favour at the United Nations, where it faces frequent criticism over its treatment of the Palestinians.

The Brazil trip comes at a sensitive time domestically for Netanyahu after Israel's parliament on Wednesday approved his government's decision to call early elections for April 9. 

He is looking to extend his long reign at the top of Israeli politics, but a slew of corruption investigations have cast a cloud over his future. 

Tumultuous campaign

Netanyahu is under mounting pressure over a series of corruption investigations into his affairs.

Police have recommended his indictment in three different probes and the attorney general is considering how to proceed.

Netanyahu is however not required to step down if indicted - only if he is convicted with all appeals exhausted - and polls have indicated his Likud party would remain the largest in parliament after new elections.

Some analysts believe he would be better positioned to face potential charges with a fresh electoral mandate.

Netanyahu has been prime minister for a total of more than 12 years, from 1996 to 1999 and again since 2009.

He could next year surpass the record set by Israel's founding father David Ben-Gurion, who spent more than 13 years in office.

The upcoming election campaign is sure to be tumultuous, with Netanyahu's opponents likely seeking to erode his reputation as Israel's "Mr. Security".

The premier's electoral appeal has rested in large part on his security credentials, which took a hit over the Gaza ceasefire that his right-wing rivals opposed.

At the same time, Israel's centre-left opposition has been in disarray and may find it difficult to mount a serious challenge to Netanyahu and his right-wing partners.

Netanyahu has also benefited from strong backing from US President Donald Trump's White House.

No Israeli government has served out its full term in some 30 years.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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