CARACAS: Venezuela ordered the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and some embassy staff late on Tuesday to protest Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The decision by President Hugo Chavez, a longtime critic of US and Israeli policy, to kick out the diplomats appeared to be the strongest reaction yet to the Gaza offensive by any country with ties to Israel. Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry announced the move in a statement, saying it “has decided to expel the Israeli ambassador and part of the personnel of the Israeli Embassy.”
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said its UN mission is joining with other countries in demanding the Security Council “apply urgent and necessary measures to stop this invasion.” Officials could not immediately be reached at the Israeli Embassy in Caracas, which had closed by the time of the announcement.
Chavez earlier condemned the Israelis carrying out the military campaign as “murderers” and urged Jews in Venezuela to take a stand against the Israeli government.
“Now, I hope that the Venezuelan Jewish community speaks out against this barbarism. Do it. Don’t you strongly reject all acts of persecution?” Chavez said.
“How far will this barbarism go?” he asked in an appearance on state television. “The president of Israel should be taken before an international court together with the president of the United States, if the world has any conscience.”
While many countries have protested Israel’s offensive, none so far have expelled the ambassador.
Chavez has long been critical of the Israeli government’s policies in the Middle East and has supported the Palestinians’ stance in the conflict.
His condemnations of Israel’s offensive have grown gradually more severe in recent days. Chavez called on Israelis to “stand up against” their government. As for those leading the offensive in Gaza, he said, “they are cowards — bombing innocent people. What great soldiers they are, how brave the soldiers of Israel are.” Protests against the offensive have been held in Venezuela and other Latin American countries in recent days.
