RAMALLAH, December 21 (JMCC) - Former US President Jimmy Carter has welcomed Brazil’s decision to join the list of South American countries who officially acknowledge a Palestinian state on the land occupied by Israel since 1967. The country, says Carter, could have a growing role play in the region.
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I am very happy to see that Brazil recognised the Palestinian state with the 1967 borders, he said in an interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.

We cannot count on the United States alone to bring peace, since it agrees with almost everything that Israel does.

Brazil can help because it has a lot of influence among developing countries. Brazil can be one of the leaders of this process.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva caused anger in Israel and the United States earlier this month by officially acknowledging Palestinian sovereignty over territory in the West Bank and Gaza occupied by Israel since 1967.

The eight-year reign of President Lula, who will be replaced by Dilma Rousseff on January 1, has seen Brazil's influence on world affairs increase, particularly in relation to the Middle East.

Brazil has been involved in unofficial back channel negotiations between Israel and Syria and earlier this year brokered a proposed deal for Iran to send low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for research reactor fuel to be supplied later.

More than 100 states, mostly from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, have recognised Palestinian statehood and several from South America, including Argentina, have followed Brazil's lead in the past two weeks.

Read more at The Telegraph…