Venezuelan jewish community asks Chavez to reestablish diplomatic relations with Israel

[ChangoLoa]

Two versions: AP and El Nacional

Chavez meets with Venezuela's Jewish leaders

Leaders of Venezuela's Jewish community met with President Hugo Chavez on Thursday to discuss their concerns about possible anti-Semitism in state media and to ask the socialist leader to re-establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Venezuelan Confederation of Israelite Associations said its representatives gave the president a dossier containing numerous examples of anti-Semitic messages that have appeared "almost daily, and for several years, in state media and government-friendly media."

Salomon Cohen, president of the confederation, said he was satisfied with the meeting at the presidential palace in Caracas and told journalists that Chavez promised the group that he would study everything they gave him.

"We reviewed the negative consequences that hateful expressions can lead to and how they can affect the security and integrity of the institutions and individuals that make up the community of Venezuelan Jews," the organization said in a statement following the meeting.

It did not publicly release its examples of alleged anti-Semitism in state media, but has previously raised concerns about cartoons and commentary in government-friendly newspapers and websites.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100917/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez_jews_1;_ylt=Agv9.L1ZUPAugy3TllLvF.L9SpZ4



In Spanish...

Comunidad judía en Venezuela pide a Chávez restablecer relaciones con Israel

La comunidad judía en Venezuela expresó este jueves al presidente Hugo Chávez su "deseo" de que restablezca las relaciones diplomáticas con el Estado de Israel, rotas desde enero de 2009.

Durante una reunión en el palacio presidencial de Miraflores, Salomón Cohén, manifestó, en representación de comunidad judía, su "deseo del restablecemiento de las relaciones con el Estado de Israel".

"Hemos recibido de parte del presidente la promesa de estudiar todo lo que le presentamos", añadió a la prensa a su salida del encuentro. A la cita asistieron también el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, Nicolás Maduro, y el rabino principal de Caracas, Isaac Cohén.

En enero de 2009, durante una ofensiva militar contra la franja de Gaza, Venezuela rompió relaciones diplomáticas con Israel, al que en ese momento llamó "Estado genocida".

Chávez, un férreo defensor de la causa palestina, criticó recientemente el asalto israelí a los barcos de la flotilla 'Libertad', en mayo, que navegaba hacia Gaza y en el que fallecieron nueve ocupantes turcos.


http://www.el-nacional.com/www/site/p_contenido.php?q=nodo/155527/Mundo/Comunidad-jud%C3%ADa-en-Venezuela-pide-a-Ch%C3%A1vez-restablecer-relaciones-con-Israel

[bherrera]

1. Good decision to break relations with israel

Chavez made a good decision to break relations with Israel. The Venezuelan Jews should understand there is a good case made to say that Israel is anti-jewish, therefore it is good common sense to oppose Israel, because it is contrary to the interests of jews to have a nation which claims to represent them, violating human rights. This generates anti-semitism, because people confuse israel the political entity with jews, a religious and social group.