São Paulo – Palestine ambassador to Brazil Ibrahim Alzeben, who’s also dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, believes global efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic will usher in solidarity among countries’ peoples and governments.
“Not just among Arab countries and Brazil, but at a global level, this unprecedented crisis in postmodern history will prompt us to consider and rethink global relations and to take better care of cooperation, because when you least expect it, you may need your neighbor,” Alzeben told ANBA.
The ambassador argues that for the first time in years, the world is up against a common enemy. He notes that right now, the entire world is vulnerable. The Embassy of Palestine in Brazil has cancelled all internal and external activities to help contain the spread of Covid-19.
Alzeben points out that the Council of Arab Ambassadors are keeping in touch online on a daily basis, to share information and provide mutual support in affairs relating to the pandemic. Some embassies had to work on sending citizens who were in Brazil back home. Within the Council, no cases of coronavirus were reported.
The ambassador argues that Brazilian-Arab relations remain as normal as possible under the circumstances, although he does see an impact on trade. Brazil is a major source of food products to Arab countries, which in turn supply oil and fertilizers to Brazil.
“Agribusiness is dependent on people, and people are under quarantine. The industry needs to export, but transportation and seaports are compromised,” says Alzeben. He notes that this is a one-of-a-kind scenario and that it’s hard to predict where we’ll be tomorrow. “Anything that hinges on human efforts is compromised right now,” he explains.
The ambassador remarks that when it comes to international trade, oil and currency prices also come into play. Alzeben believes the shipping of goods to Arab countries will become less fluid. “We must resist, we must work on overcoming this phase, and hope it won’t last too long,” he says.
The diplomat reveals that there have been 119 coronavirus cases and one death in Palestine and argues that situation there is sensitive because the country is under military occupation. Still, action is being taken, including banning tourism in cities and prioritizing Covid-19 in the healthcare system.
The crisis is impacting the economy and there’s a shortage of medical supplies, like anywhere else in the world, according to the ambassador. He relates that the most critical area is Gaza, where 1.8 million people are living in a very small territory. According to Alzeben, the Palestinian people are aware of how serious the coronavirus situation is.
“Since they have experienced a military occupation and curfews, perhaps the Palestinian people are better prepared than other peoples to go through the experience of wanting for things. We have been through great struggles for many long years now. Curfews have been recurrent in the past 50 years. Sadly, we are familiar with this situation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a danger and a threat, one we hope we’ll conquer,” he said.
The Embassy of Palestine is also keeping track of the situation of Palestinians living in Brazil, via an online group of 110 key people who work with immigrant communities. The goal is to share information on potential cases and people’s needs.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
