ANTISEMITISM IN VENEZUELA: BRIEF RESPITE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000706 SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT FOR DRL/SEAS GRICKMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/22/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF VE SUBJECT: ANTISEMITISM IN VENEZUELA: BRIEF RESPITE, LINGERING CONCERNS REF: A. 07 CARACAS 002094 ¶B. 07 CARACAS 002174 ¶C. 07 CARACAS 002327 CARACAS 00000706 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON, REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. Leaders of the Confederation of Israelite Associations of Venezuela (CAIV) told Poloffs May 20 that government pressure on the Jewish community has declined so far in 2008. They believe that after the December 2007 raid on the Caracas Hebrew Center by the Venezuelan special police force DISIP, the BRV has made an effort not to engage in sanctioned anti-Semitism. Nevertheless, the CAIV leaders cited continuing concerns that government agencies discriminate against the Jewish community, particularly in the issuance of visas to Israeli teachers and access to dollar currency exchanges. End Summary. ¶2. (C) CAIV President Abraham Levy Benshimol and Vice President David Bittan told Poloffs May 20 that since January 2008, the small Jewish community of Venezuela (roughly 15,000) has felt less threatened by BRV actions and attitudes. CAIV, a prominent confederation of Venezuelan Jewish organizations, has established a working relationship with an office director at the Ministry of Justice. Moreover, the government is providing requested police protection for large community events. Levy and Bittan speculated that the BRV, possibly the President, decided to reduce pressure on the Jewish community in Venezuela after the December 2007 police raid on the Caracas Hebrew Center. ¶3. (C) Despite the recent improvements, CAIV leaders note they have lingering concerns. Levy and Bittan said the BRV is not issuing visas to Israeli teachers in the same numbers as they had been in years past. The Hebrew school has difficulties recruiting qualified teachers outside of Israel. The CAIV representatives also reported that CADIVI, the BRV's currency exchange control mechanism, was not authorizing US dollar exchanges for the Hebrew Center's students' trips to Israel. They learned informally that the delay is political, reflecting the BRV bias against Israel. ¶4. (C) Levy and Bittan also noted that official anti-Jewish sentiment had not disappeared. They highlighted a recent interview of Alexis Navarro Rojas, the BRV ambassador to Russia, who in a Russian news interview alleged, "many Mossad snipers took part in the (2002) coup d'etat. These snipers were citizens of Venezuela but were Jews." The CAIV leaders underscored that such blanket, false statements promoted societal anti-Semitism. -------------- Background -------------- ¶5. (C) In the early morning of December 2, 2007, the Venezuelan DISIP, armed with a warrant to look for weapons and drugs, searched the Caracas Hebrew Center. The search of the area took place several hours before polls were set to open for the national constitutional referendum. The Jewish community waited until after the results of the referendum to issue a public protest. The raid of the Hebrew Center was the second in three years, and came on the heels of reports in government-funded media outlets that the Jewish community was funding anti-constitutional reform efforts. The CAIV leaders told Poloffs that CAIV cooperated fully with the police investigation and said the government prosecutor intends to close this case soon for lack of any evidence. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) Levy and Bittan suggested that the improved atmosphere and enhanced cooperation with the BRV may not be long lasting. The Embassy agrees with CAIV's assessment that government and media attacks on the Jewish community have ebbed since the beginning of the year. However, statements such as those made by Navarro indicate an undercurrent of anti-Jewish sentiment persists, at least in certain individuals in the BRV, and the reprieve may only be temporary. CARACAS 00000706 002.2 OF 002 DUDDY