Eduardo Bolsonaro, a Brazilian lawmaker and son of President Jair Bolsonaro, attends a gathering of conservatives, in Mexico City, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. (AP)

Brazilian lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has claimed credit for influencing the dismissal of war crime accusations against Israeli soldier Yuval Vagdani. The soldier, accused of demolishing residential buildings with explosives in November, returned to "Israel" on Wednesday after Brazilian authorities officially closed the investigation.

The 500-page complaint, filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation, presented evidence that the demolitions targeted shelters for displaced Palestinians. The foundation is known for pursuing legal actions against Israeli soldiers accused of violating international law abroad.

Bolsonaro launched a public defense of Vagdani through an online campaign, sharing a video in Portuguese and English across his social media platforms. "A few minutes after I posted the video, my phone rang. The caller ID showed an Israeli flag, so I assumed it was the Israeli Embassy and answered in Portuguese. But it wasn't the embassy—it was Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who handles the fight against antisemitism," Bolsonaro revealed. He claimed the campaign was instrumental in pressuring Brazilian authorities to close the case.

Despite a request from Brazilian police to reopen the arrest warrant, authorities declined, stating there was no basis for further investigation since Vagdani had already left the country. According to Israeli media, the soldier secretly departed Brazil days before his return to "Israel", avoiding potential legal repercussions.

Genocidal Alignment

This precedent has raised serious concerns about the erosion of accountability for war crimes. Brazilian politician, lawyer, and prominent member of the Workers' Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores) Gleisi Hoffmann criticized Eduardo Bolsonaro and his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, in a tweet. Hoffmann accused the former president of aligning himself with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's genocidal policies.

"Jair Bolsonaro, who has always supported dictatorship, torture, and torturers, is now aligning himself with Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which facilitated the escape of an Israeli army soldier under investigation for his crimes by Brazilian justice. Genocidal minds understand each other, don’t they?" Hoffmann wrote.

Jair Bolsonaro, que sempre defendeu a ditadura, a tortura e torturadores, agora se junta ao governo de Benjamin Netanyahu, que deu fuga a um soldado do exército de Israel investigado por seus crimes pela justiça brasileira. Os genocidas se entendem, não é mesmo?
— Gleisi Hoffmann (@gleisi) January 6, 2025

Bolsonaro described the case's dismissal as a precedent-setting victory, asserting, "In the future, judges will think twice before accepting such complaints, whether from the Hind Rajab Foundation or similar organizations. No one wants their name associated with something linked to terrorism."

This incident marks the fifth time Israeli soldiers have been discreetly extracted from foreign countries where legal proceedings were initiated against them. While the soldier's name was initially withheld in this case, publicity surrounding the investigation eventually led to his identification and facilitated his transfer to Argentina before his return to occupied Palestine.