President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela threw down the gauntlet to his soon-to-be counterpart in the United States, Barack Obama, demanding to know where he stood on Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip. Chávez made it clear he didn't hold out much hope Washington's stance would significantly shift after January 20, when Obama is due to be sworn in as president of what Chávez caustically derides as "The Empire."
Chávez, who expelled Israeli Ambassador to Venezuela Shlomo Cohen on Tuesday, said Obama had said "almost nothing" about Gaza, except that he was worried. "We're going to wait," Chávez intoned. "We're not that optimistic, we not deluding ourselves."
Obama would have the first word, the president continued, before turning to explain why he'd ordered Cohen out of the country. This, he claimed, was a "gesture of dignity." Chávez showed a picture of a dead child in Gaza. The responsibility for this, he claimed, belonged to the "president" of Israel – apparently a reference to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
After his government had told Cohen to go, Chávez had remarked that Olmert and outgoing United States President George W Bush would have been brought before the International Court of Justice "if there were any shame in the world."
Bush has long been a major bogeyman for Chávez, who claims that "senior officials" in Washington – who he's never named – have been plotting to assassinate him, invade Venezuela and seize its oil riches. Washington used to deny any such thing but later tended to ignore similar outbursts. The Bush Administration has served as an easy target for Chávez' brand of populist, nationalist anti-Americanism, but the prospect of Bush being succeeded by Obama has posed questions about how the Venezuelan leader would handle his dealings with the new president.
Until now, there have been signs that Chávez himself has been in something of a quandary about this very question. His demand to know where Obama stands on Gaza comes in the wake of Cohen's expulsion, which does not appear to have met with universal approval at home.
Criticism of the expulsion has come from quarters that were to be expected. The head of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, Monseñor Ubaldo Santana, told reporters that he hoped that Cohen's expulsion would not lead to a complete break in relations between the two countries. Venezuela's senior bishops have long been at odds with the Chávez regime.
The Confederation of Israelite Associations in Venezuela (Caiv) unsurprisingly "lamented" the expulsion of the ambassador. "This decision cuts a profound link between Venezuela and Israel that's always existed since the moment when the (Isreali) state was founded in 1948," said Caiv President Abraham Levy.
As shall be seen, this overlooked an earlier time under Chávez when relations between Caracas and Tel Aviv turned distinctly rocky earlier this decade. On Wednesday, the conservative newspaper El Universal – no friend of Chávez there – noted this was the second time Cohen had been given his marching orders. The first time was in early August 2006, during an earlier dispute with Israel over its actions against the militant Islamic group, Hezbollah, whose leader Hasan Nasrala is reported to have urged Arab countries to follow Chávez' example. During the earlier quarrel, Cohen was told to go and Chávez withdrew Venezuela's ambassador to Israel. To this day and although Cohen returned to resume as ambassador, Venezuela has yet to appoint an envoy of its own in Tel Aviv. Venezuela's most senior diplomat in Israel is said to be the commercial attaché. There was speculation in Caracas that this official would be deported in retaliation for Cohen's enforced departure.
Chávez' motives for making Israel such an issue are under question. One suspicion is that he's out to whip up support for his stance on Gaza in a bid to boost his votes at a referendum on successive re-election that could take place in mid-February if all goes to plan.
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