Hugo Chavez's hostility alarming to South Florida's Venezuelan Jews

sun-sentinel ^ | September 17 2006 | Tal Abbady

[dennisw]

President Hugo Chavez's early friendship with a Holocaust denier was the first jolt.

Venezula has grown hostile to its dwindling Jewish community. Chavez's fierce criticism of Israel, repeated on recent trips to China and Syria So is the 2004 state police raid of a Jewish elementary school in Caracas.

Most troubling is Chavez's close alliance with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel's destruction.

"I have Jewish friends in Caracas wondering if they should remove yarmulkas when they go out in the street," said Victor Amram, of Boca Raton. "Never in our lives did we imagine Jews would think that way in Venezuela."

Amram, 60, was head of the Zionist Federation of Venezuela 1998 to 1999. He was also second in command in the Policia Tecnica Judicial, Venezuela's investigative law enforcement agency. In May 1999, his Chavez-appointed boss accused him of "Jewifying" the agency's store, which sold clothes and furniture, by stocking it with merchandise from vendors who happened to be Jewish, Amram said.

Amram already had planned to leave Venezuela because of its civil instability and corruption. He retired later that year and in 2000 moved to Florida, where he owns a security company.

Roughly 25 percent of Venezuela's 30,000 Jews have left for South Florida since Chavez was elected in 1998, according to the American Jewish Committee. Most fled a rising tide of crime, kidnappings and economic uncertainty, including government encroachments on private property, that sparked a general exodus of middle-class Venezuelans.

Norberto Ceresole, the late Argentinian left-wing thinker who denied the Holocaust, had a brief stint as Chavez's adviser in the early days of the populist leader's presidency.

In a 2005 Christmas radio broadcast, Chavez referred to the Jews as "descendants of those who crucified Christ" and have "taken over the riches of the world."

[dennisw]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, right, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, hug each other after Chavez was awarded the 1st grade order of the Islamic Republic of Iran during a ceremony in Tehran university in Tehran, Iran, in this Sunday, July 30, 2006 file photo. Ahmadinejad will make his first visit to Venezuela on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006, strengthening ties with a country that has become the leading defender of Iran's nuclear ambitions on the world stage. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian/FILE)

[mainepatsfan]

But I thought anti semites were only on the right!? /s

[Gay State Conservative]

In a 2005 Christmas radio broadcast, Chavez referred to the Jews as "descendants of those who crucified Christ"..

Yah,as if Chavez gives a rat's hindquarters about Christ or his teachings.

[raybbr]

Okay, I'll bite. Why would Jews in South Florida fear Chavez in Venezuela?

[elhombrelibre]

Ping

[BrooklynGOP]

Hugo Chavez's hostility alarming to South Florida's Venezuelan Jews

...because they still have family there?

[bvw]

Would you be able to answer why do Irish in Boston fear a return of the troubles in Northern Ireland?

[dennisw]

Okay, I'll bite. Why would Jews in South Florida fear Chavez in Venezuela?

Actually you should fear Chavez in Venezuela the Iran-Venezuela alliance is a strategic threat to USA and our oil supplies. As far as Hugo Chavez being anti Semitic and Amadinejad wanting to destroy Israel. This translates into the USA also being in their gun sights

[raybbr]

Hugo Chavez's hostility alarming to South Florida's Venezuelan Jews

Are they South Floridians or Venezuelans? If they are Floridians why would they fear Chavez?

MY point was the headline is totally misleading.

[raybbr]

Would you be able to answer why do Irish in Boston fear a return of the troubles in Northern Ireland?

No. Why would they?

[raybbr]

Actually you should fear Chavez in Venezuela the Iran-Venezuela alliance is a strategic threat to USA and our oil supplies. As far as Hugo Chavez being anti Semitic and Amadinejad wanting to destroy Israel. This translates into the USA also being in their gun sights.

I agree that Chavez is nuts and presents a clear danger with his power. I was pointing out that this is not really news. It's a made up story with a misleading headline.

[bvw]

Are you for a unitied and free Ireland?

[dennisw]

I never knew Hugo Chavez was so anti Semitic. This makes him more of a menace to USA because it cements his alliance with Amadinejad. Does this make any sense? And why Chavez's anti Semiticism can affect you?

[raybbr]

Are you for a unitied and free Ireland?

I really have no opinion on that.

[bvw]

But you have an opinion about this. Rokey-dokey.

[raybbr]

But you have an opinion about this. Rokey-dokey.

Actually my point was the misleading headline.

Does Ireland have a dictator? Are they persecuting displaced Irish here in the U.S?

I ask again, why would people living in south Florida feel threatened by Chavez? Are they not U.S. citizens protected by the U.S?

[reformedliberal]

Amadinejad likely requires this sort of rhetoric and probably actual followup if there is to be an alliance between Venezuela and Iran.

This isn't just the usual jaw-jaw from the *unaligned*. There is a real, hot WWII or WWIV brewing and Iranian missiles stationed in Venezuela could each the USA.

It is also, of course, from the Muslim POV, a religious war and whatever Jews are left in Venezuela are in danger. Chavez needs an internal enemy as well as external enemies to keep his poor masses riled.

I wonder how the Catholic majority in Venezuela has reacted to the Pope's comments and the Muslim response? Is there a Muslim conversion attempt going on in Venezuela? Is that next?

[RegulatorCountry]

I'd think they regard themselves as Venezuelans living in exile, who still care about their homeland, as well as the Jewish people who remain there, many of whom they no doubt know or are even related.

[Clemenza]

Read the article: This refers to Venezuelans of Jewish background now living in South Florida.

"Ethnic" politics are a reality in this country, and have been for over 150 years (at least).