Anti -Semitism in Venezuela

Stephen Roth Institute 2003-2004

The Jewish Community in Venezuela has suffered extreme instability following the inauguration of Chavez into office in 1998. The community shrunk from 20,000 to 15,000 individuals following the crisis, a minority among the 22 million inhabitants of Venezuela.The poverty levels soared to 80% in the middle and upper classes, significantly lowering the assets of the majority of the Jewish community. Chavez is linked to ultra left-wing figures who have publicly expressed hostility towards Judaism and Israel.In the first months of 2003 Chavez supporters organized protests against Iraq, where they displayed anti- semitic slogans. Additionally, the pro- Chavez website Revolutionary Popular Assembly strongly attacked the chief rabbi of Caracas on July 29, as well as the Jewish community on the basis that they support the opposition. Although antisemitically motivated assaults were not recorded, there were many examples of vandalism. The Iraq protesters took a detour on their way to the rally and vandalized the walls of Tifferet Israel. At the rally on March 25, the protesters threw bottles and stones at the windows and tried to break in through the door. This rally was attended by public officials and public figures including the Minister of Communications and Information, Congressman, and the Government of the Municipality. There has been numerous expressions of anti-semitism in the media. For example, journalist Jeronimo Carrera, a member of the Communist party. blamed the "criminal Yankee- Zionist coalition" for the capture of an international terrorist. El Nacional claimed that the CIA and Israel Mossad were behind the coup d'etat to throw Chavez out of the government. The new pro-government newspaper Vea takes a particularly strong stance against Israel. In one article in September 2003 entitled "License to Kill", the writer claimed that Bush was helping "the bloodthirsty Zionist Israel regime"and referring to a Sharon as a "good disciple of Hitler." There were several comparisons made between Sharon and Hitler. El Diario Caracas put out an article titled "Volgswagon and Sharon", while another newspaper Tal Cual published "The Arab Aushwitz". Classic antisemitic themes, although not all that common can be found throughout the media. El Nacional reports on a small religious fanatical religious sect, Revelation of Final Times, who believe that Chavez was meant to run the run the country and opposes "Zionism,evil and international justice." Rafael Poleo in his column "Pendulo" in the center-left magazine Zeta ,criticizes Pope John Paul II,for trying to please Saddam Hussein saying he was blind sighted to the difficult situation for the Catholics in the U.S., because they were being discredited by the Jews. There have been several reports that several groups within Venezuela are funding radical islamis groups,some with tourist money laundering.
This piece served as a warning sign for what was to come ahead.The Tifferet Israel is a great example of this. It was vandalized in 2003, and five years later it was vandalized again only this time the damage was much more severe. At this point the situation was not as serious as it had become but the age of fear had already begun. People felt like it was going to turn around, but as we see today it worsened as time went on. The institute in their report stresses the lack of future for the Jewish community unless these actions were stopped.Since there was barely any international reaction, the situation deteriorated dramatically.

Link to Original Article: http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2003-4/venezuela.htm