Palestinian officials welcomed the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva against Brazil’s incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro on 30 October.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) congratulated Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his victory in Brazil’s presidential elections, and hopes to strengthen ties with the country again after years of estrangement with Jair Bolsonaro.

The PNA “will work quickly to cooperate with the president-elect in restoring the course of bilateral relations to normality,” as well as “to strengthen the ties that link Palestine to Brazil” and Lula “to the Palestinian cause,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The same organization described Lula’s victory as “a victory for democracy” which has an important meaning not just for the rest of Latin America, but also internationally.

Meanwhile, Ahmad al-Deek from the Palestinian ministry of foreign affairs told The New Arab that “bilateral relations between Brazil and Palestine took a step backward during Jair Bolsonaro’s term in office, citing Bolsonaro’s “unbalanced approach” to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“Da Silva is known for his support of the Palestinian cause; his views are aligned with the United Nations resolutions,” al-Deek told TNA.

Lula received the most votes at the polling station inside the Brazilian Consulate in Ramallah, from Brazilian citizens living and working in the occupied West Bank, with 90.5 percent of the votes, according to EFE.

Brazil, like other Latin American countries, has long sided with the Palestinians in the United Nations and other world organizations. However, President Bolsonaro supported Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.

Earlier in his term, Bolsonaro suggested moving the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

On 30 October, President Jair Bolsonaro’s wife, Michele Bolsonaro, arrived at a polling booth wearing a T-shirt that had the printing of the Israeli flag.

”May the blessings of our God be upon Brazil and Israel,” she wrote on social media.

Michelle Bolsonaro, wife of losing candidate and former president Jair Bolsonaro, showed up to the polling booth in an Israel t-shirt.

On the other hand, Brazil's new President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has been seen sporting the Palestinian Kuffiyeh on several occasions. pic.twitter.com/2gd211cD26

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 31, 2022

On the other hand, during his time in office, Lula took many pro-Palestinian steps, including increasing diplomatic representation between the two countries.

During a visit to the West Bank in 2010, Lula spoke of his dream of seeing “an independent and free Palestine”, according to teleSUR.