January 6, 2009
Last January, Venezuela expelled the Ambassador of Israel over the offensive in Gaza, only a few hours earlier President Hugo Chavez referred to the operation as a "holocaust" against the Palestinians. In recent years Chavez has constantly broken diplomatic envoys due to bilateral disputes, including last year where he expelled a U.S. ambassador after a conflict involving Bolivia. Due to OPEC's statement that Israel's campaign constituted "flagrant violations of international law" and used "state terrorism", Chavez decided to expel the Ambassador and part of the personnel of the Israeli embassy. In 2006 Chavez threatened to break ties with Israel after the operation in Gaza. On January 5,2009 Chavez accused the U.S. poisoning Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in order to destabilize the middle east and allow for U.S. supported Military excursions into Arabic countries. Chavez said," The President of Israel should be taken to International Court right now as well as the President of the United States."
This event foreshadowed the issues the Venezuelan Jews are having currently. By expelling the Ambassador and breaking apart the embassy, Chavez greatly weakened Israeli influence in Venezuela. Without an embassy the country has no way to defend itself in a public forum which is exactly what Chavez wanted. He wanted to weaken the institution, in order to weaken the Jewish community in general. By taking away their main defense pulpit,he has left no choice for the Jews. Either they comply with him and agree with the general national stance, or they will be slowly forced out.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE:http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN06444577
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