Reactions in Latin America to Chavez expulsion of Israeli Ambassador

Ecuador's Israeli Ambassador laments the expulsion of his counterpart in Venezuela

7/1/2009 - AJN (Quito).- Quito's Israeli Ambassador, Eyal Sela, expressed sorrow during an interview with the "Agencia Judía de Noticias" (Jewish News Agency) or AJN, with regard to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's decision to expel its Israeli Ambassador from Caracas. Sela dismissed the possiblity that Ecuadorian Presidnet Rafael Correa (photo) would follow suit. “Ecuador is not Venezuela, and Rafael Correa is not Hugo Chávez”, Sela said. He also confirmed that relations between Israel and Ecuador are a "deep friendship" and that Cristina Kirchner (ed: Argentina's president) is more in tandem with the Venezuela mandate than the very proper Correa.


The American Jewish Committee condemned the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador of Venezuela

7/1/2009 - AJN.- Dina Siegel Vann, the Director of Latin American Affairs of the AJC (American Jewish Committee) told the AJN that with this measure, Chávez encourages "hostility against the Jewish community in his country". The International B'rith Internacional is "disillusioned" and "surprised" by the statements made against Israel by Latin American countries

7/1/2009 -

AJN.- Daniel Mariaschin, Executive Vice President of the organization, told the AJN that "the lack of understanding from these governments, frankly, is a mystery".He continued: “Latin American countries know terrorism well, and should see what is happening in Israel as something that reminds them happened in their own past". The International B'nai B'rith was responding to statements made by Mercosur and the Organization of American States which rejected the military operation in Gaza.

For Uruguay's Jewish community “it is no surprise” that Chávez threw out the Israeli Ambassador

7/1/2009 - AJN.- In an interview with the AJN, the president of the Comité Central Israelita (Jewish Central Committee) thought that “one had to expect this type of reaction from the Venezuelan President, keeping in mind the worrisome relationship between his government and the Iran regime".

For the Jewish Chancery: "Chávez is siding with those that support terrorism"

7/1/2009 - AJN.- In an interview with the AJN, Hertzel Inbar, spokesman for the Jewish Chancery analyzed the abrupt decision taken by the Venezuelan President to expel the Israeli Ambassador from the Bolivian Republic. "Today Chávez is promoting terrorism, and is siding with the axis of Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

In a separate report, in Venezuela's Universal, it was reported that the Ambassador reuned with the Jewish community of Caracas before leaving, and had no hard feelings. The country's Jewish population has decreased from 25,000 to 18,000 people.