Venezuela–Israel relations
 |
|
 Israel |
 Venezuela |
|---|---|
Israeli–Venezuelan relations refer to foreign relations between Israel and Venezuela.
Venezuela voted in favor of Israeli membership in the United Nations in 1949, and established diplomatic ties.
Relations soured in 2006, relating to President Hugo Chávez's convictions regarding the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, and partly due to Chávez's foreign policy relating to Iran and Israel's political opposition to it. Chavez also positioned himself on the world stage as opposed to American foreign policy — the USA and Israel are partners in defense and international relations, specifically relating to the Middle East. In the wake of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, Venezuela broke all diplomatic ties with Israel, condemning its actions. On April 27, 2009, Venezuelan foreign minister Nicolas Maduro met with Palestinian National Authority foreign affairs minister Riyad al-Maliki in Caracas, where formal diplomatic relations were established.
Venezuela voted in favor of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine on November 29, 1947, and established diplomatic ties Israel later on.
Venezuela's first representative in Israel, Dr. Romulo Araujo, arrived in 1959/60 and was based in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. A year later, the mission was located in the Katamon neighborhood at 28 Rachel Imenu, where it stayed until 1980. In 1962 ties were upgraded, so that full ambassadors were exchanged. From 1960-64 Vincente Gerbasi, a poet, served as the Venezuelan representative and ambassador. He was replaced by Pedro Abreu, and in 1969/70 Napoleon Gimenez took over. In 1980, when Venezuela and many other nations chose to move their embassies outside of Jerusalem, Luis La Corte was the ambassador. In 1962, Gerbasi presented an Arab village with a tractor from Venezuela. During the Six-Day War many Venezuelan Jews went to Israel to fight for Israel.
...
Wikipedia