DistantNews
Support us
Israel and Venezuela restore consular relations after 17-year break
🇵🇦 Panama /Conflict & Security

Israel and Venezuela restore consular relations after 17-year break

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Israel and Venezuela have re-established consular relations after a 17-year diplomatic freeze.
  • The move follows humanitarian aid delivery to Venezuela after earthquakes and a change in its leadership.
  • The agreement aims to facilitate consular services for citizens of both nations.

Seventeen years after severing ties, Israel and Venezuela announced on Tuesday the restoration of their consular relations. This rapprochement follows a period of significant change in Venezuela, including the delivery of humanitarian aid by Israel after devastating earthquakes in June and a shift in the country's leadership.

These debates culminated in an agreement aimed at establishing a coordination mechanism to provide consular services to the citizens of both countries.

— Israeli Foreign MinistryExplaining the outcome of diplomatic talks between Israel and Venezuela.

The agreement was reached after recent discussions between Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and his Venezuelan counterpart, Félix Plasencia. The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that the talks resulted in a mechanism to provide consular services to citizens of both countries. Venezuela had broken diplomatic relations with Israel in January 2009, during the presidency of Hugo Chávez, in protest of an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Both governments emphasized the importance of the relationship between Israel and the Jewish community residing in Venezuela, viewing it as a historical bridge of friendship. The Grand Rabbi of the Israelite Association of Venezuela had previously requested the restoration of relations to address the needs of the Jewish community, which numbers around 6,000 people, according to the World Jewish Congress.

the importance of the relationship between the State of Israel and the Jewish community residing in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which serves as an important bridge of historical friendship between the two countries.

— Joint statement by Israeli and Venezuelan governmentsHighlighting the significance of the renewed ties.

Additionally, the two nations have agreed to continue bilateral technical cooperation stemming from the earthquake response and reconstruction efforts. The June earthquakes caused at least 6,301 deaths and widespread damage. This renewed engagement marks a shift from the previous Venezuelan governments' strong anti-Israel stance and their close ties with Iran.

respond to the needs of the Jewish community

— Isaac Cohen, Grand Rabbi of the Israelite Association of VenezuelaStating the reason for requesting the restoration of diplomatic and consular relations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog