Brazil’s far-right president-elect Jair Bolsonaro has said he plans to move his country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The change would follow the Trump administration’s decision to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem, effectively recognising the city as the Israeli capital in a symbolic gesture which has angered Palestinians.

The recently-elected leader tweeted on Thursday: “We intend to transfer the Brazilian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel is a sovereign state and we shall duly respect that.”

The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as the capital of any future state.

Israel claims the whole city, including the eastern sector home to Jerusalem’s most important religious sites, as its eternal capital.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately welcomed Mr Bolsonaro’s proposal. The Israeli leader spoke to the Brazilian leader earlier this week and invited him to visit the country.

“I congratulate my friend Brazilian president-elect, Jair Bolsonaro, for his intention to move the Brazilian Embassy to Jerusalem, a historic, correct and exciting step,” said Mr Netanyahu in a statement.

Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Show all 8 1 /8 Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency A man holds an inflatable figure of jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro celebrate in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, after the former army captain won Brazil's presidential election AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party (PT), Fernando Haddad, react in Rio AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Police officers patrol the streets during a gathering of supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party AFP/Getty Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Fernando Haddad, presidential candidate of Brazil's leftist Workers Party (PT), is kissed by his wife Ana Estela Haddad Reuters Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency epa07128316 Supporters of Socialist candidate Fernando Haddad react after he was defeated by far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 28 October 2018. With 99.4 percent of ballots counted, Bolsonaro won the second round of the elections with 55.1 percent of the votes, compared to 44.9 percent obtained by Fernando Haddad, successor of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and candidate of the PT, or Workers Party. EPA/JULIO CESAR GUIMARAES JULIO CESAR GUIMARAES EPA Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of the left-wing presidential candidate for the Workers Party (PT), Fernando Haddad, react in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil's presidential election, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on October 28, 2018. - Far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, beating leftist opponent Fernando Haddad in a runoff election after a bitter and polarized campaign. Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.18 percent of the vote with more than 99.7 percent of the ballots counted. (Photo by Daniel RAMALHO / AFP)DANIEL RAMALHO/AFP/Getty Images DANIEL RAMALHO AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, celebrate in front of the National Congress in Brasilia, after the former army captain won Brazil's presidential election, according to official results that gave him 55.7 percent of the vote, on October 28, 2018. - Far-right former army captain Jair Bolsonaro was elected president of Brazil on Sunday, beating leftist opponent Fernando Haddad in a runoff election after a bitter and polarized campaign. Official results gave the controversial president-elect 55.18 percent of the vote with more than 99.7 percent of the ballots counted. (Photo by Sergio LIMA / AFP)SERGIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images SERGIO LIMA AFP/Getty Images Brazil election: far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro wins Presidency Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro gather outside the Federal Police headquarters where Brazilâ€™s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is serving a prison sentence, after Bolsonaro wins the presidential race in Curitiba, Brazil October 28, 2018. REUTERS/Rodolfo Buhrer RODOLFO BUHRER REUTERS

Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton has described Mr Bolsonaro as a “like-minded” leader and said his recent victory was a “positive sign” for Latin America.

The former army captain won Brazil’s presidential election earlier this week, beating Workers’ Party candidate Fernando Haddad in the second-round run-off.

If Mr Bolsonaro follows through on his pledge to move the embassy, Brazil would become only the third country in the world to have its official diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, after the US and Guatemala.

Paraguay briefly moved its embassy to Jerusalem, only to move it back to Tel Aviv after president Mario Abdo Benitez was elected in August.

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Mr Bolsonaro courted further controversy on Thursday by appointing judge Sergio Moro as his justice minister.

Mr Moro jailed the far-right leader’s chief political rival following the “Operation Car Wash” corruption probe. Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sent to prison, stopping him from running against Mr Bolsonaro.

“His anti-corruption and anti-organised crime agenda, as well as his respect for the laws and the constitution, will be our guide,” said the president-elect.

The new minister said it would be hard to give up being a federal judge after 22 years, but he hoped his new government role would mean “consolidating the advancements against crime and corruption … and remove any risks of going backward”.