With Brazil’s presidential election set for October, Flávio Bolsonaro, the 44-year-old son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, visited this week and was already being addressed by aides as “Mr. President.”
Flávio Bolsonaro, a senator who closely resembles his father in appearance and style, pledged that if elected he would move Brazil’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, rejoin the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and align with Argentine President Javier Milei’s so-called “Isaac Accords,” a South American initiative modeled on the Abraham Accords.
He also vowed that his first act in office would be to pardon his father, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges including an attempted coup, seeking to violently overturn democratic rule and plotting to assassinate the judge overseeing his case and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in the last election. The Bolsonaro family denies the allegations.
Flávio Bolsonaro said he has been in politics for 23 years and is prepared to lead Latin America’s largest country. He promised to crack down on crime and corruption, cut government ministries, reduce bureaucracy and lower taxes. “Brazil is stuck,” he said. “It needs someone modern with new ideas.”
His brother, Eduardo Bolsonaro, a former member of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, described Flávio as part of a new generation of conservative leaders in South America who are religious, right-wing, anti-left, pro-United States and pro-Israel. He cited Milei as well as leaders in Ecuador, El Salvador, Paraguay and Chile.
The brothers, who are evangelical Christians, voiced strong support for Israel. “It’s hard to find a point where we disagree with Israel,” Eduardo Bolsonaro said. Flávio Bolsonaro added that Brazil under his leadership would stand by Israel’s right to defend itself “in any way to protect the lives of the Jewish people.”
Eduardo Bolsonaro called Israel “the front line in the war to defend civilization for 2,000 years” and said that after Oct. 7 “there is no excuse not to support Israel.”
During their visit, which included participation in the second International Conference on Combating Antisemitism organized by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the brothers met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli. They also visited the Western Wall and toured Samaria in the West Bank, where they met with regional leader Yossi Dagan. They did not meet with opposition figures.
Eduardo Bolsonaro has visited Israel 10 times. Flávio Bolsonaro said he first came with his daughters and visited Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem.
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Flávio Bolsonaro said, “We are in favor of Israel.” Asked about a two-state solution, he said, “I know the solutions for Brazil, not for Israel.” Eduardo Bolsonaro rejected the idea, saying Palestinians must first recognize Israel’s right to exist.
The former president in December endorsed Flávio Bolsonaro as the right-wing bloc’s candidate. Flávio Bolsonaro said his party united behind him following the endorsement and pointed to polls showing him closing the gap with Lula.
Eduardo Bolsonaro, who moved to Texas after taking leave from Congress in March 2025, has been under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court on allegations including threats against the judiciary and attempting to encourage a foreign country to take hostile economic measures against Brazil. His passport was revoked and his bank accounts were frozen. He described himself as a political refugee and said he would also seek a pardon if his brother is elected.
The brothers dismissed concerns about foreign involvement in Brazil’s politics, accusing former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration of backing Lula in the 2022 election. They praised former U.S. President Donald Trump and defended his policies toward Latin America, including actions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Four of Jair Bolsonaro’s five children are involved in politics, along with his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, who has also been mentioned as a potential political successor.
Despite their close ties to Netanyahu, the brothers said relations between Brazil and Israel would remain strong regardless of who leads either country, citing what they described as shared religious, historical and political values.