"Discrediting" Israel

El Universal February 23,2010

Beatriz W. De Rittigstein recently posted an opinion article concerning Israel. She mentions that while there are humanitarian tragedies due to extreme Islam, everyone focuses on how to create propaganda that distorts Israel's actions in order to "discredit" them. Rittigstein goes on to say that while there are no protests against the persecution of dissidents in Iran, massacres in Sudan, or the limited rights of women in Iran there are always protests against Israel. People, "with great cynicism", have the nerve to compare Israel to an apartheid while in Cuba the leaders keep their citizens separated without liberty or movement as they provide tourists with every amenity they need. Rittegenstein concludes saying that sadly the left and radical Islam, use anti- Israel comments to mask their anti-semitism. All they do is "manipulate" the circumstances for their own convenience and to satisfy their own interest.
This article is a breath of fresh air for the anti-semitic environment that exists within Venezuela. Rittigstein was brave enough to stage her opinion in the national newspaper and make an important point which is why does everyone focus all their attention upon Israel, who does things correctly, and not on the inhumane actions of countries such as Iran or Cuba? Rittigstein's conclusion points to the fact that people are simply masking their anti-semitism with anti- Israel sentiment. This is exactly the issue within Venezuela. While some may say that it is anti- Israel many of the articles point to being anti-semitic. While it is small in the scheme of things, hopefully Rittigenstein's article will make a point to El Universal's readers that journalists should stop spending so much time trashing Israel and start looking at the many other world issues that are facing us today.
Link to Original article:http://opinion.eluniversal.com/2010/02/23/opi_art_desacreditar-a-israe_1764476.shtml

Diplomatic Storm Created after Murder of Hamas Leader

February 19- Aporrea
According to recent news, the assassins used advanced technology to enter the hotel and fled Dubai less than 24 hours after the murder of Hamas leader, Mahmud Al Mabhuh. These new findings, according to Aporrea, all reveal the professionalism of the attack.Hamas has revealed several suspects; one from Britain, five from Ireland, one from Germany, and one from France. Neither Ireland or Germany says these passports were stamped when going to Dubai. Slowly, the international community has begun pointing to Israel. As a result France has asked for an "explanation" from Israel, while Great Britain has asked that their Israeli Ambassador and his government "completely cooperate" with the ongoing investigation. While in Europe there is just diplomatic pressure in Dubai the accusations have been much more direct. As the leader of the police department, Dahi Jalfan says," I am 99 percent sure, if not 100 percent sure that this was an action of the Mossad." He went on to say that their records directly link Israel to the murder. Israel has dismissed the accusations, saying that they think it could have been a plot staged by the Palestinians in order to place the blame on Israel. The article concludes saying that Israel has the strong hand against them, going on to cite six events where Israeli spies were sent abroad: Norway, Cyprus, Jordan,Switzerland, and Cyprus again.
Aporrea once again stays upon their common anti- Israel path in this article. They reveal the accusations yet they barely touch upon what Israel has to say about the situation. When they finally do mention that Israel thinks this may be a plot against them, they turn around and accuse them once again by citing examples where Israel has either sent agents to spy or murder. This article twists the event in order to lead viewers to relate more to the Palestinian plight and raise doubts about Israel's actions.
Link to Original Article: http://www.aporrea.org/actualidad/n151370.html

Aporrea: "Isreal Destroyed Civilain Property with Military Vehicles"

February 19

Aporrea, the government supported newspaper of Venezuela, reported that this past Thursday military vehicles entered the private territory of Gaza to destroy everything. This action came just hours after a Hamas group promised to avenge the death of their leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai. Israel violated their pact, entering the frontier through the central zone,near the Deir Al- Balah barrier, and continued 200 meters only to destroy everything in their path. A few hours later, Israel was attacked by Palestinian explosives, who were "provoked" by the Israeli anti-tank munitions and artillery. Palestinian leaders have vowed to attack Israel due to the murder of Mabhouh. As Abu Obeida, a Palestinian leader says "All the assassins can do now is wait." The Palestinians say that there are eleven suspects that used European passport to enter Dubai in order to commit the murder.
This article is completely one-sided. It presents the Palestinians again as the victims in the situation. As it says, they were "provoked" to take action after Israel entered their territory. Yet the article fails to mention that in fact Israel was the one provoked to defend itself due to the terrorist planning that is currently occurring on the Palestinian forefront.It also victimizes the civilians living in the territory, although the majority of them are linked to Hamas. This article is detrimental to the national perspective of Israel because it refers to them as murderers without a cause.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE:http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/n151392.html

Israel in its absolute form

In Aporrea last week the writer Eduardo Guerrero wrote an opinion piece on Israel. The result was a four page criticism where Guerrero delineates Israel's mistakes throughout history. Guerrero begins by saying that Israel was born and developed around terrorism and a "false" memory. This "terrorist" war that Israel has created is fueled by American and European support and indifference. The "genocide" in Gaza is clear yet no one has done anything to stop it. Guerrero compares the streets of Gaza to the hell Primo Levy described in Auschwitz.The elections in the government are twisted according to Guerrero because by forbidding Arab political parties they are excluding 20% of the country's vote. He dismisses claims that Israel is the only "democracy in the middle east" saying they are simply militaristic. The article then criticizes "hypocritical" Spain for defending Israel against the attacks made against them during Cast Lead and providing them with arms to stage this "genocide". Guerrero creates this strong alliance between them inciting that they are working together in a negative fashion. In the end he says this situation must be dealt with labeling it the "moral struggle" of our generation.
Recently I wrote about an article that differentiated between anti-Israel and anti-semitic. The fine line that exists between them and separates them. That fine line is definitely broken by Guerrero. He does have the power to criticize Israel even though his assumptions are poorly rooted, yet the fact that he said the state was created by a false history directly criticizes and offends the Jewish community.Also an event as scarring and atrocious as the Holocaust should never be used in a comparison because the destruction and tragedy is on a different level than anything else we have seen in history thus far.Guerrero has no sensitivity towards the Jewish community in this aspect. This article does great damage to Venezuela's perception of Israel because it attacks them as a country and a government and questions their existence. If Venezuelans are to only read these one-sided articles their perception is very narrow and obviously they in effect will also begin to criticize Israel's actions.
Link to Original Article: http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/a95009.html

Israel and Uncle Sam

In a recent Aporrea article Rofelio Duc criticized the way Israel has been acclaimed for assisting the situation in Haiti. Duc says that yes while a "bravo" may be said,Israel should not be placed on a pedestal for their actions. Duc claims that Venezuela,Israel and other countries have worked together to improve the situation in Haiti. While Israel did not hesitate to respond quickly and arrive with great technology, create temporary hospitals, and bring in surgeons, nurses and paramedics Duc says that the international community should not "exaggerate". For Israel, "It is not necessary to pass an ocean and travel more then 10,000 km by plane for Israeli medics to find themselves in such a grave humanitarian crisis." According to Duc all Israel has to do is look at their past, referring to Operation Cast Lead. Duco says while a "bravo" may be said no one should forget to bring "Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni and Ehud Barak" to the international court to be tried for the "crimes against humanity" they committed just a year ago.
This article shows just how far some media outlets will go to bring Israel down. While at the beginning Duc does recognize that Israel has done a good job in Haiti, he immediately focuses back the attention to Israel's negative past with his far- fetched comparison. He lessens the significance of their humanitarian work that has been so instrumental to the assistance of Haiti's citizens while they rebuild their destructed communities. This is a common media tactic with Israel, to draw away from their achievements so that Israel will never receive the support they need and deserve. Venezuelan media outlets are particularly skilled in their criticism and that is why the anti- Israel sentiment has increased significantly in recent years.
Link to Original Article: http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/a95009.html

Aporrea discusses Iran's plans to destroy Israel

Freddy Yepez, of the government supported Aporrea newspaper, reported that according to Ali Jamenel, the leader of Iran said that the Middle east "will one day assist the destruction of Israel". The reason they say is because zionism represents a huge danger to the Muslim world. Yepez mentions "with all respect to Islam and Iran" that both religions represent a danger to world because within them no capitalist regime exists. This Yepez believes is the solution to the problem. He says the first solution is to create a system not based on religion but rather on Marxism. He says that the world functions because of the struggle within the classes, it should not be based off religion at all. He then goes on to speak about the concept Marx had about the Jews, saying that if the Jews spread their wealth they get from the "Jewish God" there would not be as many issues. Zionism,according to Yepez, has reached its maximum imperialistic and capitalistic point. Everything that exists within Israel is "atrocious" and they rely on the unconditional support provided to them by America. Zionism is the "general of capitalistic imperialism" within the Middle East. Yepez makes the realization that Israel cannot be destroyed due to its close ties with America, but suggests another Marxist solution and that is to destroy the borders of Israel. If the borders of Israel are destroyed, capitalism will be eliminated and socialism will reign throughout the world.
This article is not only anti-semitic rather revolutionary. Yepez is a marxist who believes that socialism will solve the issues facing the world today. This pro-government newspaper is trying to reach out to its readers in order to bring about international reform, yet they do not realize how unrealistic their plan is. Yepez criticizes Israel and the Jews throughout the article, in effect blaming them for the capitalistic system that exists within the world today.
Link to Original Article: http://www.aporrea.org/ideologia/a95077.html

Washington Post discusses Venezuela's grim future

March 26,2009

The Venezuelan community has been under significant pressure under President Chavez "revolutionary" government. The main Sephardi synagogue was vandalized, Hebraica -a social, sport club and school- was twice intervened by the police, the Israeli Embassy was closed, and anti-israeli and anti-semitic graphite are widespread. Now it has even spread to the performing arts. The state- sponsored Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Orchestra withdrew from performing the acclaimed classic Fiddler on the roof. The Orchestra's conductor claimed," We receive financial aid from the government, and the given the current situation we prefer not to participate in a play that has Jewish content." This anti-semitic action comes as no surprise following the many other recent actions of the Venezuelan Government. In 2004 the government staged an attack on the private Jewish School where police led a search for weapons. During the 2006 UN memorial to Auschwitz victims, Venezuela was the only country who twisted it around in order to make it a forum for the Palestinian plight. During Christmas time, Chavez blamed the "Christ killers" for all of the country's problems.The situation escalated with the recent attack on the synagogue.In March rumors emerged that Chavez was creating an alliance with Hezbollah in order to kidnap Jewish travelers in the international airport for ransom. In any of these cases the message is clear, the situation has gone too far and Chavez needs to be stopped before anything else happens.
While this article was written a few months ago, it continues to stress the dangerous situation that the Jews are living in. Even a simple night of culture, has been stripped away from them. There have not necessarily been headlines about the Jewish community recently, but there has definitely been action going on behind the scenes. As I continue to speak to my family, they tell me the situation is getting worse and worse. There has been a rise in kidnappings and the government is nationalizing companies in an attempt to control the market. Besides the deteriorating situation for the Jews, the economy is collapsing and simple things like milk have started to disappear off of the grocery store shelves. The quality of life has gone down significantly and that is why there is a huge wave of emigration, particularly from the Jewish community.
Link to Original Article: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2009/03/precarious_future_of_jews_in_venezuela.html

VEA blames CIA and Mossad Agents for leading facist Youth movements

In Chuao, Brazil there was a press conference held concerning the recent "aggressions" conducted by the fake fascist opposition students. Hector Rodriquez, a student who attends the croup criticized the police force and the college for not stopping the group saying they caused the deaths of two men and increased violence on campus. "These individuals could be trained to create terror in different sectors." He went on to claim that the real students were studying and that these people were posing as students when in reality they were fascist leaders. The article went on to mention that this would happen under Brazilian's new ambassador Thomas Shanon.
The article VEA is notoriously anti-semitic and Chavista. They clearly took this student's words out of context because in no place in his quote was there mention that the CIA or the Mossad was involved in the on-campus violence. VEA decided to pin it on the Israeli's and American's because we are easy targets, yet with no proof their article is very unreliable. They also go on to criticize Shanon because of his previous work with Venezuela. Between 1996 and 1999 he was the political counselor for Venezuela at the U.S. embassy. He was appointed to office by President Obama. The Chavistas disagree with everything democratic in affect everything American and this is why they decided to blame Shanon for the wrongdoings of the students.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.google.co.il/#hl=en&ei=wm1yS6WCD4214Qb46-neCQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CBAQBSgA&q=thomas+shannon+brazil&spell=1&fp=7d93c68b1906d67c

Sammy Eppel Predicted the Grave Future of the Jews in Venezuela

Miami Herald January 09,2008

The Venezuelan Jewish community became concerned that the government was supporting national anti-semitism. Sammy Eppel mentions that, "The situation we have now in Venezuela is that for the first time in modern history we have government-sponsored anti-semitism in a Western country. He went on to say,"That is why it is very,dangerous not just for the Jewish Community in Venezuela but the for the Jewish Community as a whole." Eppel mentioned a pattern of the government attacking Jewish institutions and the religion in general. The ADL has condemned the Venezuelan government for their blatant anti-semtism and for making the Jews a "target for intimidation".
This is interesting because it was one of the first articles I found that directly blamed the government for the existing anti-semitism. Sammy Eppel always speaks up for the Jewish Community so it is fitting that he was involved with this. His international call to action, however, unfortunately was not heard and the country still lives in this threatening environment. The need for assistance has increased greatly since two years ago and it is now more crucial than ever that the international community step in.
Link to Original Article:www.humanrightsfoundation.org/news/010908_MH.pdf -

Freedom of Expression at Risk in Venezuela

January 31, 2010 El Universal
Workers and supporters of banned cable station RCTV will continue to fight and "will not negotiate principles" said participants of the RCTV ceremony last week. Participating were Roman Catholics, Protestants and Jews,those religions commonly persecuted by the Venezuelan Government. After the TV station was cancelled, RCTV internacional was established in order to reach supporters, yet this effort was also quickly halted. The student movement was actively involved in the cause. As one student, Adriana Mendoza, wished"for a country where everyone can speak without dear;wear one color or another without fear of causing trouble;can watch,read or listen to the media they want rather than the media imposed by the government." Marcelieno Bisbal, director of Graduate Studies at Universidad Catolica in Caracas mentioned that Chavez "has a deep fear of independent media" because it shows the "incompetence and inefficiency of his administration". This explains why he continues to criticize the protest in an effort to surpress the opposition.
This protest represents the unity that the Venezuelans are currently feeling against Chavez. There were many events that led up to this strong opposition- the weak economy, lack of power and lack of resources- the shutting down of RCTV was just the trigger for the inevitable. This is a step in the right direction for the citizens of Venezuela. They are raising their voices against the corruption of the Venezuelan government. They are fighting for their freedom of expression, a right that should have never been taken by the government.
Link to Original Article: http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/02/05/en_ing_esp_freedom-of-expressio_05A3396975.shtml

To Leave or not to Leave?

Jerusalem Post February 29,2008
On the eve of the National Referendum, while people were celebrating a wedding at the Union Iraelita Synagogue, police broke through Hebraica in order to search the premises for weapons and explosives of which they found none. This attack received very little international media attention. There had been a similar raid two years before, with the same result. Chavez accused Jewish leaders of leading and financing opposition protest saying that," I am not going to be blamed for being anti-Semite." One Venezuelan Jewish community member said that people are not leaving Caracas for the same reason no one left Germany "denial". The community had held a protest against the Iranian embassy criticizing Ahmadinejad's Holocaust Denial. They were so scared to do so, however, that the protest was held in silence. People were starting to flee in large numbers at the time, but again not to Israel as the author recalls. He says that the failure of aliyah is not only Israel's fault but also the Venezuelan Community, who are literally "trapped" by the challenges that face their country and their dangerous surroundings. A few years ago, Ze'ev Boim attempted to create a plan as minister of immigrant absorption, to bring Venezuelans to Israel but it was never put into effect. There is a disinclination of wealthier Jews to emigrate because as Robert Kulkha Kohn mentions "You could never live like this anywhere else".
I think this article is good although it was written two years ago because it addresses the current issue that faces all Venezuelan Jews which is to leave or not to leave. Most of them do not want to abandon their comfortable lifestyles to move somewhere else, especially the age group of 40-60, who would have difficulty finding employment. The other big issue is this idea of denial. If you go to Hebraica, the Jewish Community Center you would never expect that things were as serious as they are. People within the community and the school there look very calm and happy. Yet outside of the walls the fear permeates throughout their lives, whether it is driving at night or doing a simple thing like walking to synagogue. You have to think about doing simple tasks. This is why many have left for places like Miami, as my cousin tells me she has a new Venezuelan member of her class monthly.People need to stop denying and realize the dangerous reality they are living in.
Link to Original Article: http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/jerusalem-post/mi_8048/is_20080229/jewish-communities-lose-voices/ai_n47382493/

Iton Gadol warns ho the Venezuelan Economic Crisis will affect the Jewish Community

Iton Gadol January 1, 2010

Iton Gadol, the Jewish community newspaper in Argentina, reported that the economic crisis has forced the Jewish community to reevaluate the threatening situation and think about emigration to Israel. Sammy Eppel mentioned that the crisis "will impact the Jewish Community", both economically and socially. The bank crisis, the energy crisis and the political anxiety that lives in Venezuela is increasing on a day to day basis. Eppel affirmed that "everyone is suffering the same issues" not just the Venezuelans. Eppel says that this may influence aliyah numbers, "A problematic situation of this type brings as a consequence people searching for a plan B, but up until this moment they had not executed it because they thought the situation would change", which clearly it has not. Eppel said it was difficult to come up with numbers of those making aliyah, since the crisis has only been occurring for about a month, yet he definitely thinks the numbers will rise. Although ties were cut off between Venezuela and Israel, the Canadian Embassy is assisting those who wish to make Aliyah. Eppel mentioned again that this is a national problem that does not only affects the Jews, and he is awaiting to see what social consequences this emigration will have.
The economic crisis has served as a trigger to convince people to leave Venezuela. The community is starting to realize that there is not much future for them there and are therefore starting to leave in large numbers. It will be interesting to see if the numbers of Aliyah from Venezuela actually rise, since from what I know most people are making their way to America. If there is a large emigration flux to Israel it will be intriguing to see how the community establishes themselves here. Either way, the Jewish community has made the realization that the situation is grave and they must leave.
Link to Original Article: http://www.itongadol.com.ar/shop/detallenot.asp?notid=28728

Sammy Eppel: Who is he? What does his work mean for the Venezuelan Jewish Community?

Sammy Eppel has been a reporter since 1994. His very opinionated articles have appeared en El Universal,NoticieroDigital, Venezuela Analitica and the Miami Herald. He is also a member of the World Press Review. Sammy Eppel is one of the biggest representatives and allies of the Jewish Community in the Press World. His articles support Judaism and Israel, trying to ward off the many anti-semitic attacks that exist today in Venezuela. He is a an active member of the Confederation of Israeli Associations of Venezuela.
Sammy Eppel is the one beam of light that exists in Venezuela. His articles are some of the only within Venezuela that look upon the Jews favorably. He also fights off those who criticize the Jewish Community making sure he provides the accurate and truthful information. His work provides a voice and hope for the members of the community that the situation will get better.
Link to Original Article: http://www.eppel.net/

Claims that Venezuela is doing Fake Conversions to help Emigrants

February 15,2008

The Israeli Community of Venezuela informed officials that they were going to do an investigation on the large rise of religious conversions to Judaism in Venezuela. They believe some people have been converting as an easier way to emigrate to Israel. El Universal said that Pynchas Brener, the head rabbi of the Israeli Union in Caracas, told reporters he does not believe fake conversions are occurring and that he did not know the man detained in Tel Aviv or the Rabbi that confirmed that specific conversion. In the past few years about 200 Venezuelans have immigrated to Israel with these "fake" conversions. The man detained in Tel Aviv,was a representative of the Jewish Agency who admitted to being involved in the plot. The detained employee went on to say that he was simply assisting the Rabbi in charge. The Jerusalem Report mentioned that the employee simply wanted to be seen as productive and therefore endorsed these fake conversions. Both El Universal and Ha'aretz said people converted because of the economic situation in Venezuela and the benefits they could enjoy from the Jewish Agency once they arrived in Israel.Most of the Venezuelan Jews live in Ramle. Israel is investigating the Absorption and Interior Ministries of Israel in order to understand how such a large number of false converts made their way over.
This article displays a frightening trend. Conversion in Judaism is one of the best things people can do, when done correctly. These people are not only giving a bad name to Judaism, but also discouraging Israel from accepting more Jews in the future. It is interesting that during such time of anti-semitism some people would rather be Jewish, just to escape the situation.
Link to Original Article:http://www.groundreport.com/World/False-Conversions-to-Judaism-in-Venezuela-force-th/2855621

Anti-Semitism vs. Anti- Imperialism

Venezuela Analysis February 12, 2008

In this article the author James Sugget, tries to stress the difference that he sees between anti- semitism and anti- imperialism. He begins the article by mentioning that two prominent Rabbi's of the Venezuelan Jewish community attended and assisted the attempted coup d'etat of President Chavez in 2002. He wanted to point out that the Jews are "actively participating" in the opposition movement. La Hojilla a pro- Chavez television station displayed a scene of a February 3 protest in which the leader of the protest was the brother of one of the prominent Rabbi's. Sugget denounces the idea that these media outlets are anti-semitic rather they are opposed to the opposition actions. He believes that anti- semitism is commonly "erroneously conflated with anti-semitism". His first example looks at the police search of the Jewish school and community center, Hebraica. This search was fueled by the murder of Venezuelan Federal Prosecutor, Danilo Anderson under specific evidence cited by the Venezuelan government that suggested that "some" collaborators were members of the Venezuelan Jewish Community. There was the suspicion that the owner of Globovision, Federico Alberto Ravel, was collaborating with a wealthy businessmen from Hebraica to assassinate Chavez. To Sugget no one can claim that the searches were "inexplicable" because there were clearly suggestions of subversive actions. Even newspapers like Vea which claims the Mossad was involved,is not anti-semitic rather just bias.The attacks on the school were followed with the accusation that Tarek El Aissami, the Vice President of Citizen security, initiated the attack. Sugget says this accusation came just because the Jews were angry by his appointment to office. Sugget says that the actions of the Jewish community are clearly more relevant to why the search occurred and he goes on to add that the search was "not illegal nor was it carried out improperly". Sugget now refers to the Pro-government media discussing how many people confuse anti- Israel feelings with anti-semitism. He refers to pictures which appeared in the pro- Government newspaper, A Plena Voz which included, the image of the star of David with a Swastika,an Israeli flag with a swastika in the middle and a star of David with a Swastika in the middle. He says the target of these articles are not the Jews rather Israel. He mentions that he believes there should be a difference made between the Israeli government and the Israeli people. He then goes on to denounce newspapers like Vea for referring to Jews and Israeli soldiers interchangeably and for clear anti-semitism. He also condemns the anti-semitic graffiti that surrounds Venezuela.
Although Sugget becomes more sympathetic towards the Jews at the end of his article, he is clearly misinformed. He makes it seem as though the issue is black and white, yet in most cases the truth is that there is a large wave of anti-semitism. The raid may have been provoked by the actions of the Jewish leaders but it did not need to be done on school property, disrupting the children.Even he said there was evidence that "some" Jews were involved, the whole community should not have been affected. The fact that they blamed an Arab leader is not uncommon and not far-fetched.Chavez has filled the seats in his government, with very publicly anti-semitic figures that would want the Jewish Community destroyed. The swastika is an image that is offensive to Jews no matter what, even if it is used in an anti- Israel context, the suffering the Jews experienced is incomparable to anything occurring around the world. Sugget has to realize that even though there may be a sense of anti- Imperialism, the sense of anti- semitism around society is much stronger and more powerful. Anti- Israel or not, they are still criticizing a crucial element of the Jewish people and attacking the community indirectly. It does not matter what their original intention was, the government's inability to suppress the pro- government media, suggests that they support their anti- semitic statements, making the situation ever more dangerous for the Jewish community.
Link to Original Article:http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3148

Telesur discusses hows Israel used White Phosphorus

Telesur February 2,2010

Telesur had a short clip in which it confirmed the fact that Israel used white phosphorus in attacks against the Palestinians during Operation Cast Lead. White Phosphorus is specifically forbidden by the United Nations. The clip said that two high ranking officials of the air force who used this type of weaponry, which murdered three people, were being "disciplined". Danny Ayalon, the Vice Chancellor of Israel, went on to comment saying that Israel has no need to receive international approval and that they still hold themselves to the "highest moral standard", evident through their punishment of these two officials. Ayalon went on to reject the claims made in the Goldstone Report saying it is a "sham" and extremely "unprofessional". The clip mentioned the fact that 1400 people were murdered during the Operation.
The release of this statement has sparked controversy all over the world, but particularly in anti-Israel countries because it is just another technique to use against them. In Venezuela this revelation has been detrimental to the Jews because it has increased national anti- Israel sentiment and strengthened Israel's identity as the aggressor.
Link to Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJUy9wXnwyo&feature=player_embedded#

Aporrea: Israeli Criminals may not Remain Unpunished

January 20, 2010

The Ambassador of Palestine in Venezuela, Farid Suwwan, exclaimed, "Just like the Nazi criminals were taken to international tribunals and punished for their actions, the massacre of Israel against the Palestinian state must go down the same way for there to be justice and peace in the Middle East." This statement comes one year following Operation Cast Lead in Gaza which left 1,434 Palestinians dead, including women and children.Aporrea claims that the Israeli Army violence has yet to cease. In recent days, at least three Palestinians were murdered on the Gaza border, through air attacks, something that worries diplomatic representatives because it implies Israel wants the conflict to continue. Suwwan said that Israel was violating the Oslo accords and has refused to negotiate while still continuing their violent attacks. Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights council has gotten involved to assist the Judicial process. Suwwan remembers that Obama said in his speech in Cairo that the, "Situation of the Palestinians is intolerable. They suffer daily humiliation that accompany the occupation. We will never turn our backs on their legitimate right to live with dignity in their own state."Suwwan is angry because he feels that Obama never followed up on his statement and is not helping the Palestinian people.Suwwan says that Israel has always been protected because of their earlier historical suffering but that the Palestinians were not the ones that "assasinated" the Jews and they now feel like they are being punished for the Nazi's wrongdoing.He says that the Israeli's are acting like the Nazi's murdering women and children that have nothing to do with the conflict. Suwwan goes on to exclaim the Palestinians are "not asking for the moon", they just want access to their ever shrinking territory. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to the existence of a Palestinian state without Jewish presence and his refusal to include Jerusalem in the negotiations.
This article is clearly very Pro- Palestinian. It again presents the Palestinians as the victims; murdered children, no land and no representation. Yet the article fails to mention that the Gaza attack was flamed by a Palestinian attack and the fact that places like Sderot, are being hit with Palestinian rockets on a day to day basis.It is also interesting to note that Suwwan says that they are not the ones who murdered the Jews.While they may have not murdered Jews during the Holocaust, they have been murdering innocent Jews since the inception of the State of Israel in 1948. It is dangerous that the Palestinians believe that Obama is their ally. If the President does choose to get involved it will be a detrimental action for the the Jewish community and his international reputation. This article continues to rally Palestinian support and make the living situation for the Venezuelan Jewish community even more intolerable.
Link to Original Article: http://www.aporrea.org/ddhh/n149325.html

Israel is accused of Electrocuting and possibly Murdering a Palestinian Leader

Aporrea January 30 2010
Hamas accused Israel following the mysterious murder of one of their main military leaders,Mahmoud al Mabhouh, which many say was electrocuted and strangled during his visit to Dubai. Marc Regev, the voice of the Israeli government, refused to comment and the police in Dubai said that the murder was by a criminal group and not by political assassination. Mabhouh was buried in a Palestinian refugee camp on the border of Syria and was praised by his counterparts for being a "great man" that fought against the Israelis, with the head of Hamas saying that Mabhouh was assasinated by Israeli's the day following his arrival to Dubai. His brother, Fayek, said that investigators determined Mabhouh died from an electric shock to the head and through strangulation. His brother also noted that Mabhouh had been victim to an assassination attempt, via poison, a few months earlier in Beirut.While Dubai still claims that it was a criminal group, Hamas stresses that in 1987 Israeli militants murdered Abu Jihan, the leader of the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine. Also that in 1997 they tried to murder the leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, by poisoning him but failed. This week on Ynet military analyst, Ron Ben Ishai, said that Israel had good reason to murder Mabhouh especially since he was involved in the kidnapping and murder of two Israeli soldiers in 1989.
This article in Aporrea is sympathizing with the Palestinians. Thy are basically supporting the claim that Israel murdered Mabhouh instead of standing up for Israel. They make him the victim by saying that he was described as a "great man" and was cruelly murdered. What they fail to mention though was that he was a member of the most violent terrorist group in the world and murdered two Israeli soldiers.They continue to pin it on the Israeli's by citing other times they "murdered" important Palestinian officials. Aporrea is looking at the situation from a very limited Palestinian point of view, and passing on this dangerous perspective to its thousands of readers.
Link to Original Article:http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/n149920.html

Human's Right Organization looks into Venezuelan Violence following Protest

Reuters February 2, 2010

The OAS,Organization of American States', human rights organization asked on Tuesday for investigators to look into the "improper use of force" on protests following the shut down of an anti-government TV station in Venezuela. The Organization announced their "serious concern" following the clashes between police, students and supporters January 25 that left one 15-year old student dead, killed another student, and left several injured. The injuries were caused by the "improper use of force" of both the police and the protesters. According to initial reports, the two dead were shot by an independent gunmen who had nothing to do with the protest. Anti-riot police used tear gas and plastic grenades to break up the protests following the shut down of RCTV. The rights commission demanded Chavez to investigate right's violations and bring upon justice.
The sad aspect of this article is that the police were probably commanded to take such violent action by Chavez himself. The protest was caused by Chavez's inability to take criticism. Chavez demands any opposition to be suppressed so it is not surprising that he took such violent action. Although the human rights organization wants an investigation, one will unfortunately not be provided because it would lead back to the government and place them in an even worse situation.
Link to Original Article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02100052.htm

Venezuela's President Chavez is behind captured arms ship to Iran

January 20,2010

Israel announced that, following the capture of the Francop, they have finally figured out how the Hezbollah illegal arms ship arrived in the waters off the coast of Cyprus.The German ship, Francop, was transporting a large amount of weaponry to Hezbollah terrorists. Venezuela believed that it was via Tehran, but recently have found out the Francop departed off the shores of Venezuela. The ship went on to briefly dock in Iran, to later travel through the Suez Canal and make its way up towards Lebanon. The report follows Chavez's pro- Iranian past and rumors that he is allowing Hezbollah to operated in Venezuela.
This is yet another clue linking Iran and Venezuela together.This not only links them together, but stresses the fact that Chavez is fostering a relationship with the most dangerous terrorist organization in the world, leading his country and his people further on path of destruction.
Link to Original Article:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=20408

National Post criticizes the Chavez Regime

January 23, 2010

The article's author, David Frum, begins by explaining the situation as he first arrived to Caracas. The largest mall, owned by the wealthiest Jewish family, had just been seized by the government the night before he arrived. A few days later, Israel traced a Hezbollah shipment straight back to Caracas.These are just accounts from one week living in Venezuela. The government had already seized french- owned supermarkets and shut down independent television stations,radio operations, and the country's largest Internet company.There are several clues that the dictatorship is gaining more control. Chavez postponed elections to the national assembly last year to September,filling the seats with regime loyalists who have been gerrymandering districts against the opposition. When Chavez in fact loses by the numbers, he will simply change the system to ensure it is not documented and most importantly that it does not happen again. Currently, Chavez is trying to account for the grave mistakes he has made during his term. He has overspent his oil revenues and in response there has been inflation in prices and currency devaluation. Electricity and food shortages are widespread throughout the country and instead of taking account for his mistakes Chavez has blamed speculators, capitalists and imperialism. As prices continue to soar, Chavez has found a new enemy with the "criminal Zionists", creating a national air of anti-semitism.
This article presents the danger that Chavez poses as a dictator. He is leading the country down the path of destruction. He has nationalized almost everything, leaving no room for personal speech. The inflation is out of control and has caused devaluation in their actual currency. People are sick of having no food or electricity. His support is definitely dwindling, but he is now too powerful to be controlled or stopped.The situation is becoming increasingly dangerous for the Jews. The seize of the Jewish family owned Sambil mall and the constant blame pinned on the Jews, has caused a lack of national support for them as well. People need to realize that Chavez has become all too powerful. The opposition must take action before it is too late for both them and the Jewish community.

Link to Original article:http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/01/23/david-frum-venezuela-falls-back-on-a-reliable-scapegoat.aspx