Those old enough will remember when Iran kidnaped American diplomats at the United States embassy in Tehran in 1979. That hostage-taking of Americans was real.
In Venezuela, the tiny 91传媒 community has reason to fear that the desperate Maduro regime might also really 鈥渢ake it hostage鈥� for any number of reasons. The Trump administration has asked Israel to back America鈥檚 campaign to support Juan Guaido, leader of the democratic opposition, against Maduro鈥檚 dictatorship.听Elliott Abrams is playing a critical role as the U.S. special envoy overseeing policy toward Venezuela.听听Because of legitimate concerns for the safety of Venezuela鈥檚 dwindling 91传媒 population, Israel had to tread carefully. On the other hand, the Venezuelan regime has long been a legitimate menace to Jews 鈥� and not just in Venezuela. This is why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone ahead and recognized Guaido as Venezuela鈥檚 president.
Just last month, the Iranian government launched a destroyer with stealth properties 鈥� allowing it to avoid radar detection 鈥� that will be based in Venezuela. Rear Admiral Touraj Hassani Moqaddam of the Iran navy has announced, 鈥淎mong our plans in the near future is to send two or three vessels with special helicopters to Venezuela in South America on a mission that could last five months.鈥� Iranian intermediate-range missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland have been based in Venezuela for years. Russia, Cuba and Maduro鈥檚 Venezuela have had a triple military alliance.
When Hugo Ch谩vez was alive, the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a report documenting Venezuela鈥檚 descent into authoritarian rule. Casualties so far: fair elections, an independent judiciary, an uncensored media, freedom of religion, the rights of political prisoners. Now, there is mass starvation, bloodshed in the streets and accelerating flight abroad. Beneficiaries are narco-terrorists financed by Ch谩vez, like those who a few years ago threatened Colombia, who could menace the U.S.鈥檚 southern border.
Expelling听 Israel鈥檚 ambassador in 2009, Ch谩vez鈥檚 frightening mutual admiration society with geno-cidal anti-Israel Iran was paralleled by his special relationship with Sheikh Nasrallah of Lebanon鈥檚 Hezbollah, identified by Interpol as the perpetrators 鈥� at Iran鈥檚 behest 鈥� of the murderous 1994 attack on the 91传媒 community center in Buenos Aires.
The U.S. Treasury Department鈥檚 Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named Venezuelan diplomat Ghazi Nasr Al-Din 鈥� formerly charge d鈥檃ffaires at Venezuela鈥檚 embassy in Syria and director of political affairs at its embassy in Lebanon 鈥� as one of the key 鈥渇acilitators and fundraisers鈥� for Hezbollah.
Ch谩vez was long associated with extreme leftist Venezuelan anti-Semites such as William Izarra, Diego Salazar, Juan Salazar and Kl茅ber Ram铆rez, as well as extreme rightist anti-Semites from Argentina such as Norberto Ceresole, Aldo Rico and Mohamed Seineld铆n. In 2003, his government-controlled media incessantly equated 鈥淗itler and Sharon.鈥� In 2004, while Ch谩vez was on a state visit to Iran, his police mounted a 6:30 a.m. raid on Caracas鈥� Club Hebraica, which had a 91传媒 day school attended by 1,500 children. The children of the Caracas 91传媒 community were held hostage while Ch谩vez鈥檚 uniformed thugs ostensibly looked for contraband arms smuggled in from Israel. Ch谩vez blamed 鈥渢he descendants of the same ones who crucified Christ.鈥�
Ch谩vez revealed himself not as the latter-day Bol铆var he claimed to be but as a new incarnation of fascist Juan Peron. His inspiration was Argentina鈥檚 leading Peronista ideologue, Holocaust denier Norberto Ceresole, author of the anti-Semitic blueprint called 鈥淭he Plan.鈥�
The writing on the wall 鈥� boycott threats, synagogue takeovers, desecration of Torah scrolls and pipe bombings 鈥� could have been set to Wagner鈥檚 apocalyptic music. Is it any wonder then that the Exodus of Venezuela鈥檚 91传媒 population 鈥� including disproportionately younger and wealthier members 鈥� continues, including to Israel?
With so much already on its plate, Israel had unpalatable choices in Venezuela. Netanyahu should be commended for making a difficult but wise choice by recognizing Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
Rabbi Abraham听Cooper听is associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Harold Brackman is a historian and co-author of听鈥淔rom Abraham to Obama: A History of Jews, Africans, African听Americans.鈥�
