Israel sends firefighters to help Brazil battle Amazon fires

Israel is joining an international effort to save the Amazon rainforest, which is one of the planet’s primary sources of oxygen.

By Associated Press

Israel will be dispatching a team of firefighters to assist Brazil with combating the fires that have consumed large swaths of the country’s Amazon rainforest.

The Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed the matter with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the 11-member team would depart in the evening to assist Brazilian authorities with search-and-rescue and wildfire operations.

Israel and Brazil have strengthened bilateral ties since Bolsonaro took office earlier this year. Netanyahu made the first state visit by an Israeli leader in December 2018, days before Bolsonaro’s inauguration, then rolled out the red carpet for the Brazilian leader in April.

August saw the highest number of fires in the Brazilian Amazon since 2010, and a sharp increase compared to the year before.

Israeli firefighters have significant experience battling major blazes.

Since March 2018, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza have launched near-daily arson attacks on southern Israel using airborne incendiary devices launched with balloons, kites, and even a live falcon.

Palestinian arson terror has caused millions of dollars of damage in Israel, destroying thousands of acres of Israeli farmland and nature preserves.