Bolsonaro visits Western Wall with Netanyahu

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited Jerusalem's Western Wall along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bolsonaro's visit comes days ahead of a tough re-election bid for the long-time Israeli premier on April 9.

Jerusalem:Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited Jerusalem's Western Wall on Monday along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Bolsonaro's visit comes days ahead of a tough re-election bid for the long-time Israeli premier on April 9.

During his first state visit to Israel, the Brazilian leader is also expected to decide whether to follow US President Donald Trump's lead and move the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as he has repeatedly promised.

During a news conference late on Sunday, Bolsonaro said Brazil would open a trade and innovation office in Jerusalem, but stopped short of announcing a formal embassy move.

The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as the capital of a future state.

Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital.

Brazil, like other Latin American countries, has long sided with the Palestinians at the United Nations and other global bodies.

But Bolsonaro has found common ground with Netanyahu's right-wing government, while his support of Israel is also likely to delight his evangelical base.