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Last update - 23:04 07/01/2009
Israel weighs expelling Venezuelan envoys after Chavez dismisses ambassador
By Reuters
Tags: Gaza, Hamas, Hugo Chavez 

Israel is considering expelling Venezuelan diplomats from Israel in response to the expulsion of Israel's envoys from Venezuela, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Venezuela expelled the ambassador to Israel on Tuesday in protest over the offensive in Gaza only hours after leftist President Hugo Chavez called the attacks a Palestinian "holocaust."


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Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel's ambassador has been
informed in writing that he and his diplomatic staff must leave Venezuela
within 72 hours. He said the letter did not refer to any severing of
diplomatic relations.

Hamas, meanwhile expressed its appreciation Wednesday for the move and taunted other Arab countries for maintaining their relations with Israel.

"As we look with great satisfaction at this courageous step, we are surprised and deplore that some Arab countries still allow the Israeli ambassador to remain in their capitals," the group said in a statement.

Egypt and Jordan, the two main Arab nations which have signed peace treaties with Israel, have not expelled their Israeli envoys.

The socialist Chavez, a harsh critic of Israel and the United States, in recent years has frequently withdrawn Venezuela's diplomatic envoys amid bilateral disputes and last year kicked out the U.S. ambassador over a conflict involving allied Bolivia.

The OPEC nation's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Israel's campaign constituted "flagrant violations of International Law" and the use of "state terrorism."

"For the reasons mentioned above, the government of Venezuela has decided to expel the ambassador of Israel and part of the personnel of the Embassy of Israel," the statement said.

The Israeli embassy did not respond to phone calls requesting comment.

Chavez in 2006 threatened to break ties with Israel over its military campaign in Lebanon in a war of words that led both nations to withdraw their envoys.

On Monday he accused Washington of poisoning the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to destabilize the Middle East and justify U.S.-backed Israeli incursions into Arab countries.

Israel is under international pressure to reach a ceasefire with Hamas militants and halt an offensive that has killed nearly 600 Palestinians, including more than 40 in a UN school sheltering civilians.

"The Holocaust, that is what is happening right now in Gaza," Chavez said in televised comments earlier on Tuesday.

"The president of Israel at this moment should be taken to the International Criminal Court together with the President of
the United States."

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      1.   Chavez...ohhh 03:54  |  J. Husserl 07/01/09
      2.   Chavez comments 06:31  |  Arnold Ghitis 07/01/09
      3.   Chaves: Jews in Europe Didn`t Rocket the Germans 06:37  |  Brad 07/01/09
      4.   Viva Chavez!! 08:33  |  Kim 07/01/09
      5.   time to increase the dosage 08:34  |  mike 07/01/09
      6.   #3, a very narrow view. 08:44  |  Tony Price 07/01/09
      7.   Reply to Brad 08:47  |  Rash 07/01/09
      8.   Venezuelan President Chavez expels Israeli Diplomat 08:53  |  Jaime 07/01/09
      9.   Brave Chavez! 09:56  |  Adam 07/01/09
      10.   Palestinian "holocaust?" 09:59  |  Angel 07/01/09
      11.   Que Viva! 09:59  |  John and the truth 07/01/09
      12.   Chavez do not speak for Venezuelans! 10:43  |  Karen 07/01/09
      13.   Chavez is irrelevant 10:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/01/09
      14.   Palestinian `Holocaust`? 11:28  |  David Nigel Braham 07/01/09
      15.   Chavez, the joke of Latim America 11:38  |  Maurits 07/01/09
      16.   Oh Please! Chavez you are a fool 12:58  |  George 07/01/09
      17.   #6 An even narrower view 13:19  |  Hastaroth 07/01/09
      18.   Quelle moron. 17:59  |  Indra 07/01/09
      19.   #3 Brad 18:00  |  MA 07/01/09
      20.   #12 Karen`s upset the US sponsored Coup 18:05  |  Roo 07/01/09
      21.   Chavez and Ahamdinejad are the Mugabes of their countries. 18:06  |  S 07/01/09
      22.   Chavez is an evil, ignorant pig 21:22  |  David Hartman 07/01/09
      23.   Chaves 21:23  |  Susan 07/01/09
      24.   Chavez 23:30  |  The Teacher/Instruct 07/01/09
      25.   If Gaza is a holocaust, then . . . 23:59  |  Zev Davis 07/01/09
      26.   I Guess Chavez Is Giving Israel Carte Blanche to Kill Up to 6MM 00:00  |  Harry 08/01/09
      27.   Regarding Comment #6 05:08  |  Never a dhimmi! 08/01/09
      28.   Chavez, tipical south american idiot 05:20  |  Yitro 08/01/09
      29.   an utterly unscrupulous set of leaders - Israelis 05:24  |  Adam 08/01/09
      30.   Follow the example 05:29  |  Ricardo Guridi 08/01/09
      31.   The clear picture 06:33  |  Eddy 08/01/09
      32.   VENIROGC (Venezuela-Iran Oil & Gas Co.) 19:02  |  John Gilbert 08/01/09
      33.   Chavez 06:05  |  Peter Smith 09/01/09
      34.   Reply to Rash 11:03  |  Bee 09/01/09
      35.   Chavez who? 06:48  |  Joe 13/01/09
      36.   Jaime you want peace stop hamas rockets 20:43  |  Salvador 13/01/09
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