[R-G] Canada will Represent Israel in Venezuela: Minister

[Anthony Fenton]

March 3, 2009
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/2526

Canada will Represent Israel in Venezuela: Minister
Canada extends diplomatic representation from Cuba to Venezuela

by Anthony Fenton

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

VANCOUVER–During a recent trip to the Americas, Canadian Minister of  
State for Latin America, Peter Kent, confirmed that Canada will  
represent Israel's diplomatic interests in Venezuela.

Following Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip in January, Venezuelan  
President Hugo Chavez expelled Israeli diplomats from the country.  
Chavez called the assault a Palestinian "holocaust."

"The President of Israel at this moment should be taken to the  
International Criminal Court together with the President of the United  
States," said Chavez in a statement on January 6.

On January 14, as the air and ground invasion into Gaza continued,  
Venezuela cut all diplomatic ties with Israel.

President Chavez was hailed as a hero in the Arab world for standing  
up to Israel. Similar diplomatic moves were subsequently made by  
Bolivia and Ecuador.

Israel waited almost two weeks before responding. On January 28,  
Israel expelled Venezuela's diplomats.

"We're proud that the State of Israel that exists today, led by these  
criminals, made this decision," said Venezuela's Foreign Minister,  
Nicolas Maduro.

On the same day that Israel barred Venezuela's diplomatic corps, the  
Jerusalem Post reported that "Israel's interests in Caracas will now  
be represented by the Canadian Embassy."

A Canadian official has since confirmed that Canadian diplomats will  
represent Israel at the Israeli Embassy in the upscale Altamira  
district of Caracas.

"Canada has agreed to represent Israel's interests in Venezuela,"  
wrote Kent in an email response to The Dominion during his trip to the  
Caribbean on February 17.

Kent also added that Canada is "currently doing this for Israel in  
Cuba."

Kent did not respond to a follow-up query seeking clarification on  
when Canada began representing Israel's interests in Cuba.

Canada was the only member of United Nations Human Rights Council to  
vote against a January 12 resolution condemning Israel for its  
invasion of Gaza.

The resolution, put forward by the Cuban government, called on Israel  
to "bring an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian  
people and to the excessive use of force."

Anthony Fenton is a researcher and writer who lives near Vancouver.