Flávio Bolsonaro Leads Brazil’s First-Round Vote and Has Promised Closer Ties With Israel Before October 25 Runoff

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, finished first in Brazil’s first-round presidential vote on October 4, 2026, according to several reports. Orinoco Tribune reported that he received approximately 47% of the vote, and The Jewish Independent gave a figure of 47.03%. Middle East Monitor reported around 47%. Anash’s headline described him as having defied the polls to win the first round. Middle East Monitor reported that Bolsonaro, of the Liberal Party (PL), cast his ballot that day at Municipal School Barão Homem de Mello in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro.

Reports differ on the share received by incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Orinoco Tribune reported 45.1%, The Jewish Independent reported 45.16%, and Middle East Monitor reported roughly 45%. Orinoco Tribune also reported that the Liberal Party gained 13 additional Senate seats, the largest increase for a single party since 1985.

The Jewish Independent reported that on October 4, after the first round, a woman in Brasília was seen holding an Israeli flag outside the home of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. The same outlet reported that the next day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that Bolsonaro would win. It also reported that in February 2024, comments by Lula comparing Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Holocaust led Israel to designate him persona non grata.

Middle East Monitor reported that Bolsonaro has promised closer ties with Israel and has backed moving Brazil’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It also reported that under Lula, Brazil has supported Palestinian statehood and self-determination while criticizing Israeli settlement expansion and the war in Gaza. Moving a diplomatic mission is a contested step, and the reports describe the positions of both candidates without settling the question, a matter where peacemaking counts (Romans 12:18).

Mondoweiss, in an article headlined as a referendum on Israel, reported that the second round of the election is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, between Lula on the left and Bolsonaro on the right. It reported that Brazil accounts for 31% of Latin America’s population and 33% of its economy. Mondoweiss also reported that flags of Israel and Palestine were visible in the streets of São Paulo ahead of the vote.