Venezuela Halts Issuing Visas to Israelis

[eauclaireliberal]

Venezuela Halts Issuing Visas to Israelis

AL-QUDS, Oct. 23--Venezuela has ceased issuing tourist visas to Israelis, accenting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's harsh criticism of the occupation regime.

Chavez recalled his top diplomat in Israel to protest the "genocide Israel was committing in Lebanon" during the occupation regime's 34-day invasion of Lebanon.


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
gestures at Miraflores Palace in Caracas.
Chavez has termed Israel's occupation of
Lebanon as a "new Holocaust".

He also termed the occupation regime's military offensive in Lebanon as a "new Holocaust".

Such a recall is one of the strongest diplomatic moves short of severing diplomatic relations.

The Zionist regime, in response, briefly called its ambassador to Venezuela to Occupied Palestine for consultations.

He has since returned to his post. But Venezuela's charge d'affaires has yet to return to Occupied Palestine.

Reached on Monday by phone by the Associated Press from Venezuela, Hector Quintero said no tourist visas had been issued since his departure, two and half months ago.

[longship]

1. That's not going to go over well.

:kick:

[ThomCat]

2. I doubt there's anything Israel can do about it.

Venezuella isn't within bombing range, and could defend themselves if Israel tried.

[aquart]

5. How big is Venezuela? How large is its population?

A gorilla is screaming about seeing a mouse.

On edit: And you are pretending the mouse is a gorilla. Why is that?

[Ian David]

3. NOT!!

<snip>

But Venezuela's charge d'affaires has yet to return to Israel. Reached on Monday by phone from Venezuela, Hector Quintero said no tourist visas had been issued since his departure, two and half months ago. Quintero said he was unaware of any official policy change in Caracas regarding the entry of Israelis.

He said the visa freeze was related to "technical" issues relating to his absence from Israel, saying it would be addressed if and when he was sent back to Israel.

More:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193504259&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[aquart]

4. Where are his statements on Darfur?

Get back to me with that.

[rockymountaindem]

6. I'm sure the long lines of Israeli tourists will have nowhere else to visit now

:sarcasm:

He's only hurting himself.

[warrens]

7. Israeli tourists and businessmen

Are sometimes Mossad assassins.

[happydreams]

8. First thing I thought too. K&R

[Greyhound]

9. The down-side to a military nation-state.

When all of the citizens are members of the military, the are all subject to military authority and military duty.

[INDIA]

10. Yeah, and sometimes Muslims are terrorists.

Should we revoke all tourist visas from Arab countries?

And what has Israel ever done to Venezuela? Looks like Chavez is finding another boogeyman to stay in power now that Bush is lame-duck.

I can't believe you're defending this bullshit.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

11. I'm going to lock this.

Due to continuing problems, discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues is limited to the Israel/Palestine forum, and is governed by a special set of rules which are available in that forum. If a discussion is primarily about US policy in Israeli/Palestinian affairs, it is sometimes allowed in other forums. Discussion of other Middle East issues is also sometimes allowed. If a thread is on a different topic, but later goes off-topic and becomes a discussion of Israeli/Palestinian issues, the moderators may move the thread to the Israel/Palestine forum.

best,
wakemeupwhenitsover
DU Moderator