[News] Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Venezuela expels Israeli ambassador over Gaza

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hj0ehBqPmjVyWuBEdqsfMorPjobQD95HT4700

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ – 44 minutes ago

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ­ Venezuela ordered the 
expulsion of the Israeli ambassador on Tuesday to 
protest Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

President Hugo Chavez has condemned the campaign 
in Gaza, where nearly 600 Palestinians have been 
killed in ground and air strikes. Israel launched 
the attacks Dec. 27 to stop Palestinian militants 
from firing rockets into southern Israel.

Venezuela's Foreign Ministry announced the 
decision in a statement, saying it "has decided 
to expel the Israeli ambassador and part of the 
personnel of the Israeli embassy."

Chavez earlier condemned the Israelis carrying 
out the military campaign as "murderers" and 
urged Jews in Venezuela to take a stand against the Israeli government.

"Now I hope that the Venezuelan Jewish community 
speaks out against this barbarism. Do it. Don't 
you strongly reject all acts of persecution?" Chavez said.

"How far will this barbarism go?," he said in an 
appearance on state television. "The president of 
Israel should be taken before an international 
court together with the president of the United 
States, if the world had any conscience."

The foreign minister said its U.N. mission is 
joining with other countries in demanding the 
Security Council "apply urgent and necessary measures to stop this invasion."

Officials could not immediately be reached at the 
Israeli Embassy in Caracas, which had closed by the time of the announcement.

Chavez has long been critical of the Israeli 
government's policies in the Middle East and has 
supported the Palestinians' stance in the conflict.




Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20090106/b8bf4df7/attachment.htm>