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Last update - 10:21 10/01/2009 To protest Gaza op, Venezuela gives Israeli diplomats 72 hours to leave By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies Tags: Venezuela, Israel News  Venezuela expelled Israel's ambassador in Caracas on Tuesday to protest the offensive in Gaza. The move came just hours after President Hugo Chavez called the attacks a "holocaust." Israel's ambassador to Venezuela, Shlomo Cohen, and his staff were given 72 hours to leave the country. The move has raised concerns in the Foreign Ministry over the future of Venezuela's 15,000 strong Jewish community. Advertisement Since Chavez rose to power in Venezuela, there has never been any officially sanctioned anti-Jewish activity. However the virulent anti-western and at times anti-Semitic rhetoric of the Venezuelan president, as well as his alliance with Iran, have been the cause of concern for the Jewish community there. On Tuesday night, Ambassador Cohen received a telephone call from the Foreign Ministry informing him that an official letter was on its way, declaring him and the other six members of the diplomatic mission in Caracas persona non grata and requiring them to depart the country within three days. Following this development, a special crew flew to Venezuela to assist in evacuating the embassy and its classified documents and equipment. A large anti-Israel protest is scheduled to take place in front of the embassy in Caracas today, and there are concerns that the demonstration may become violent and result in an attack on the embassy building. In recent years, Chavez has frequently withdrawn Venezuela's diplomatic envoys amid bilateral disputes. Last year, he kicked out the U.S. ambassador. Venezuela issued a statement calling Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip a "flagrant violation of International Law" and "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 read. In 2006, Chavez threatened to break ties with Israel over the Second Lebanon War. 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. "The Holocaust, that is what is happening right now in Gaza," Chavez said in televised comments 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." For its part, Israel is considering expelling Venezuelan diplomats from Israel, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. Venezuela does not have an ambassador in Israel - only a diplomatic staff of two. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor said that the letter expelling the ambassador and the diplomatic staff in Caracas made no reference to severing diplomatic relations with Israel. Hamas, meanwhile, expressed its appreciation yesterday 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. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A "gesture of dignity" Israeli envoy to Venezuela departs after being expelled by Chavez over Gaza op A voodoo initiative Voodoo priests in Benin pray for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Read & React UN Security Council calls for immediate Gaza truce Responses: 173 UN: IDF officers admit Gaza school shelling was by mistake Responses: 133 Akiva Eldar: Israeli rejection of Gaza deal may topple Abbas Responses: 71 Gideon Levy: Those who justify Gaza war justify all of its crimes Responses: 275 Bernard Avishai, Sam Bahour: Israel playing into Hamas' hands Responses: 71 More Headlines 03:00 Security cabinet: Israel to continue Gaza op to pressure Egypt 07:59 IDF: Hamas men beginning to desert; army steps up Gaza op 08:10 Gaza rocket hits car in Be'er Sheva; two people suffer shock 08:03 Report: U.S. spurned Israel plan for attack on Iran nuke reactor 02:36 Israel disappointed by UN resolution that avoids key demands on Gaza 04:54 ANALYSIS / UN Gaza truce resolution was serious diplomatic malfunction 07:27 ANALYSIS / Synching IDF and government over Gaza 02:53 Investigation shows errant mortar hit UN building 22:58 Israel and Hamas are both paying a steep price in Gaza 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 07:40 Meshal: No Gaza truce until IDF ends offensive, opens border crossings 02:45 Gideon Levy / My hero of the Gaza war 01:17 IDF uses live ammunition to break up West Bank demonstrations 02:58 Gaza residents: IDF troops posing as Hamas men 04:21 Study: South to recover more quickly from war than north after Lebanon 06:43 Palestinian security forces break up Gaza protest 23:28 ANALYSIS / Israel should have embraced the UN's Gaza truce proposal 04:56 Egypt, Jordan resist calls to recall ambassadors 02:58 Text of UN Security Council resolution for Gaza cease-fire Previous Editions Select Day 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec

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