Hugo Chavez Expels Israeli Ambassador from Venezuela, in Protest Against the Israeli Terrorist Attacks on Gaza

Hamas appreciates Venezuelan president's expulsion of Israeli ambassador

[ 07/01/2009 - 04:15 PM ]

DAMASCUS, (PIC)--

The Hamas Movement on Wednesday said it greatly appreciated the "courageous" step of president Hugo Chavez of Venezuela who expelled the Israeli ambassador to Caracas in protest over the Israeli massacres in Gaza Strip.

The Movement in a press release said that Chavez had embarked on a step that no Arab country, who maintains relations with Israel, had dared do.

It expressed surprise that some Arab countries were still insisting on retaining diplomatic relations with Israel despite its ongoing bloodbath in Gaza.

Caracas had declared that the Israeli ambassador and six other diplomats in the Israeli embassy were persona non grata. Israel responded with expelling the Venezuelan charge d'affaires in Tel Aviv.

Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza war

Date: 07 / 01 / 2009 Time: 13:57
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador and six other diplomatic personnel from the South American nation on Tuesday in protest of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

“Israeli ambassador is persona-non-grata in Venezuela,” said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro Moros. He announced that diplomatic contact between the two countries has been reduced to a minimum.

A statement by the Venezuelan foreign ministry said Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip are violation of international law.

Before the decision to expel Israeli ambassador, Venezuelan president described Israeli forces as “cowards” asserting that Israeli people must take to the streets and protest aggression on Gaza. “How coward Israeli army is. They are attacking innocent people while they are sleeping, and this army boasts defending Israeli people. I call on Israeli people to rebel against their government,” Chavez told reporters.

Chavez also said Israeli president Shimon Peres must be tried by the International Court of Justice along with outgoing president George Bush for the charge of genocide.

Israeli foreign ministry has said it has not received any notification on the expulsion of its ambassador.

Chavez is a leading critic of the United States and its ally, Israel. In recent years Venezuela has frequently withdrawn diplomatic staff amid diplomatic disputes and last year kicked out the US ambassador over a conflict involving allied Bolivia.

In 2006 Chavez threatened to cut ties with Israel over its war on Lebanon.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.