Caracas protesters cheer Israeli envoy's expulsion

Jordan welcomes Venezuela's move to expel Israeli envoy
Hundreds of Jordanians marched Thursday, January 08 to the Venezuelan embassy in Amman, the Jordanian capital, some of them carrying flowers, to thank the Venezuelan government for breaking diplomatic ties with Israel in protest against the high number of civilian casualties caused by the Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators shouted slogans and carried banners welcoming the steps taken by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and calling for Arab countries to break diplomatic relations with Israel, following the example of Venezuela, DPA reported.

The Jordanian Islamic Action Front (IAF), the largest political party in Jordan, also hailed the measure taken by the Latin American country. "The decision represents a light of hope in the darkness of the forces of arrogance and the parties that serve it," said the secretary general of IAF, Zaki Bani Ershaid, in a letter to Chávez.

Expulsion of Venezuelan diplomats from Israel depends on Tzipi Livni
The decision to expel Venezuela's top diplomatic official from Israel, in reciprocity for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Caracas, Shlomo Cohen, depends on Israel's Foreign Minister and acting Prime Minister Tzipi Livni.

Israeli diplomatic sources who asked for anonymity told EFE that the Israeli Foreign Ministry has already taken the decision "in principle" of endorsing "the practice of reciprocity," but "such decisions can only be adopted by the Minister."

Chargé d'Affairs Roland Betancourt is the only Venezuelan diplomat in Israel, because President Hugo Chávez has been gradually reducing the hierarchical level of Venezuelan delegation in Tel Aviv since 2004.

Lebanese road named after Hugo Chávez
A Lebanese municipality has named its main road after Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to honor the Venezuelan government decision to expel the Israeli ambassador in solidarity with Gaza Strip.

As reported on Thursday by the Lebanese national news agency ANN, the city of Al Bira in northern Lebanon made the decision to honor the "historical initiative" of Venezuela on behalf of Gaza, Efe reported.

"As a token of appreciation for his historical initiative of having expelled the Israeli ambassador from his country in reply to Israel's massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza, we resolved to name the main road of Al Bira after the Venezuelan president," said the municipality in a press release.

January 09

Israeli ambassador Shlomo Cohen is leaving Venezuela
Israel's ambassador to Venezuela Shlomo Cohen is leaving the country Friday, January 09 following the order of expulsion issued last Tuesday by President Hugo Chávez in protest for the shelling of Gaza by the Israeli Army.

The 72-hour deadline given to Ambassador Cohen lo leave the country ends on Friday and also affects most of the diplomatic staff of the embassy, EFE reported.

Cohen has refused to comment on the expulsion order.

Israel's embassy remains closed and, although it is protected by a police squad, it was painted with graffiti condemning Israel's action in Gaza Strip.

Jewish community in Venezuela bid farewell to Israeli ambassador
Leaders of the Jewish-Venezuelan community bid farewell to Israeli ambassador a few hours before his depart from the South American country, after being expelled by the government of President Hugo Chávez in protest against Israel's military attacks on Gaza Strip.

"I am sad and grieved... I have to leave, but I am taking with me some great memories of this country," said Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen after a farewell ceremony held in the Social, Cultural and Sports Center Hebraica in Caracas, where business leaders, artists and diplomats of Jewish descent bid him an emotional farewell. The attendants included pro-government legislator Carlos Espinosa León, AP reported.

"We are not leaving the country with hatred or rancor. On the contrary, we have much appreciation for the Venezuelan people. We'll leave the country satisfied, with many friends. I am looking forward to returning as an ordinary citizen," said the diplomat, some hours before leaving the country along with his wife Edna and one of their children.

Venezuela violates Declaration against Anti-Semitism, say Jews
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization, urged the governments of Argentina and Brazil to denounce the Venezuelan government for having violated the Declaration against Anti-Semitism, in a communiqué released on Friday, January 09 in Buenos Aires.

The organization, which gathers more than 400,000 members, feels that Venezuela violated the undertaking executed at the end of 2008 by Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela to condemn racism, religious intolerance, racial discrimination and related intolerance, AFP quoted.

"The decision to expel Israel's ambassador to Caracas and support a terrorist group like Hammas, which quotes in its founding charter an anti-Semitic text like the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Sion, reverses the commitment made by President (Hugo) Chávez less than one month ago," added the notice.