Venezuela breaks diplomatic ties with Israel over Gaza massacre

The Bolivian president also dismissed the United Nations and its "Insecurity Council" for its "lukewarm" response to the crisis and said the general assembly should hold an emergency session to condemn the invasion.  "Considering these grave attacks against ... humanity, Bolivia will stop having diplomatic relations with Israel," Morales told diplomats in the Bolivian capital, La Paz. He also said that Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, should be stripped of
his Nobel Peace Prize for failing to stop the invasion.  Palestinian 'holocaust' Morales's move follows the decision by his ally Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, to expel Israel's ambassador in the country because of the offensive, calling it a "holocaust". Morales expelled the US ambassador from Bolivia in September after accusing him of encouraging violent protests against his government. Chavez did the same not long afterwards in "solidarity" with Morales. More than 1,000 Palestinians have now died in Israel's offensive in Gaza, around 40 per cent of whom were civilians, aid agencies and Palestinian medics say. Thirteen Israelis have also died, four from rocket fire from Gaza.

Israel does not have an embassy in Bolivia, and the nearest ambassador is situated in Peru... Morales... called for the UN to hold an emergency general session to condemn the fighting. He also said Israeli President Shimon Peres should be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize for failing to stop the operation.The Bolivian president is known for his alliance with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who announced last week that his country would be expelling Israeli Ambassador Shlomo Cohen in response to the operation in Gaza. In a speech, Chavez dubbed the fighting a genocide and demanded that US and Israeli leaders be tried in international court. However Chavez did not say explicitly that his country would be severing ties with Israel. Foreign Ministry officials said Wednesday that Morales' announcement would not affect Israeli tourists currently traveling in Bolivia. An official announcement is planned for later in the evening.