SPECIAL ENVOY RICKMAN VISIT TO VENEZUELA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000969 SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD DEPT FOR DRL/SEAS (GRICKMAN) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KIRF VE SUBJECT: SPECIAL ENVOY RICKMAN VISIT TO VENEZUELA REF: A. CARACAS 000706 ¶B. 07 CARACAS 002327 ¶C. 07 CARACAS 002094) CARACAS 00000969 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON, REASON 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Gregg Rickman and special assistant Karen Paikin visited Venezuela June 29 - July 1. Catholic Church leaders, academics, Israeli Ambassador to Venezuela Shlomo Cohen, and a Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior's Office of Religion official provided Rickman with a wide range of views on the challenges faced by the Venezuelan Jewish community. Our interlocutors flagged the presence of senior BRV officials with anti-Semitic leanings, official anti-Semitic rhetoric, the recent emigration of nearly half Venezuela's Jewish population, and the growing relationship between the BRV, Iran, and Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah as their most pressing concerns. End Summary. -------------- COMMUNITY NERVES ON HIGH -------------- ¶2. (C) The Venezuelan Jewish community expressed its fears of increasing anti-Semitism in the country in a series of meetings with Special Envoy Gregg Rickman. Leaders from the Confederation of Israelite Organization in Venezuel (CAIV), an umbrella organization of Jewish group in Venezuela, B'nai Brith, and other religious eaders expressed concerns. They noted that whil there had not yet been any physical violence diected at the Jewish community and they were still ree to practice their religion, the community wasnevertheless on edge. They cited a series of goernment actions: Two government raids on the Caracas Jewish community center, neither of which has been explained by the government; the growing concern over the possible presence of Middle Eastern terrorist groups in Venezuela, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah; Venezuelan relations with Iran; and the reflexively anti-Israel bent of Venezuelan foreign policy. ¶3. (C) Jewish leaders expressed particular concern over the two raids on the Jewish community center, a large complex that includes a school providing religious and Hebrew language instruction for children of all ages. Dr. Berenice Bernal, Director of the Ministry of Interior's Office of Religion and Sects, told Rickman, Paikin, and Emboffs that her office had received no information on the raids, and that the Jewish Community should bring its concerns directly to her office (Note: CAIV representatives told us that they sent letters of protest to the Interior Ministry. End note.). Dr. Bernal said the Venezuela Constitution guaranteed complete freedom of relgion, and that her office had good working relatons with CAIV. CAIV leaders later told Rickman hat Dr. Bernal's office had been informed, and that the community registered complaints to the Ministry of the Interior after the raids on the center. CAIV also told Rickman, Paikin, and Emboffs the government has not yet satisfactorily explained why the raids occurred. ¶4. (C) CAIV leaders told Rickman and Emboffs that former Interior Minister Jesse Chacon had met with several Jewish community leaders in order to address their concerns. The meeting came after an extended period of a lack contact with the government. Former Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, while in office, had acted as a link between the government and the Jewish community. The meeting with Chacon marks the first contact the Jewish community has had with a member of Chavez's inner circle since Rangel's departure. CAIV told Rickman, Paikin, and Emboffs that the lack of a channel of communication with the government contributed to the Jewish community's sense of insecurity. -------------- ISRAEL -------------- ¶5. (C) Shlomo Cohen, the Israeli Ambassador to Venezuela, told Rickman that Venezuela's anti-Israel foreign olicy also contributed to the Jewish community's nease. Venezuela has traditionally largely ignoed the conflict in the Middle East, preferring istead to focus on relations with other oil-producing nations. Under Chavez, the Venezuelan government organized marches against "Israeli aggression" during the 2006 war in Lebanon, one of which ended at the main Sephardic Synagogue in Caracas. The BRV's strong CARACAS 00000969 002.2 OF 002 support for Iran is another major concern on the part of the Jewish community. Many community leaders expressed their worry that the government's anti-Israel policies could spill over into anti-Jewish sentiment in Venezuela. ¶6. (C) Israeli Ambassador Cohen said that while economic relations between his country and the BRV were thriving, the political relationship remained difficult. He said the Israeli Embassy in Caracas is composed of three diplomats, including himself, that he would be leaving in six months, and did not know if he would be replaced. He also said that the Venezuelan Embassy in Tel Aviv was staffed by two Venezuelan diplomats, both with the rank of Second Secretary. -------------- THE SEEDING OF ANTI-SEMITISM -------------- ¶7. (C) Jewish leaders in Venezuela fear that a base of anti-Semitism is being laid that will outlast the Bolivarian government. CAIV and other community leaders said that Venezuelans have little experience with anti-Semitism as a concept, and that the Jewish community has long been established and respected in Venezuela. They said that until recently, most Venezuelans perceived little difference between Venezuelans of Arab and Venezuelans of Jewish descent. Jewish leaders told Rickman that even now, anti-Semitism seems to be more prevalent among some in government than among the general population. Anti-Semitism in official media has been on the upswing, CAIV noted. CAIV leaders pointed to Mario Silva's nightly television show, "The Razor," on a government-run station, which called on Venezuelan Jews to denounce other Jews they believed to be anti-government, and implicitly labeled all Venezuelan Jews guilty of undermining the government until proven innocent. Another example CAIV pointed to was the BRV's decision to register and grant license to Alberto Nolia's weekly tabloid, "The Papers of the Devil," which has printed virulently anti-Semitic editorials. ¶8. (C) CAIV leaders and others, including the Israeli Ambassador, expressed some doubt as to whether President Chavez was personally anti-Semitic. Rather, they expressed their concerns that some of those in Chavez's inner circle held strong anti-Semitic views. Mario Silva of "The Razor," for example, is believed to be close to Chavez and is the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidate for the governorship of Carabobo. Venezuelan Ambassador to Russia Hector Navarro recently stated his belief that Venezuelan Jews working for the Mossad were involved in the April 2002 coup attempt. Vladimir Acosta, a professor at the Central University of Venezuela, is regularly invited to speak at government-sponsored events on the Middle East and has been cited by the Anti-Deamation League as anti-Semitic. Rickman's interlcutors expressed concern that Venezuelan governmnt officials of Arab descent, such as Tarek el Aisami, Vice Minister for Security at the Ministry o Justice, and Tarek Saab, governor of Anzoateguiand also close to President Chavez, play a role n fomenting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentimets within the government. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) The rapid emigration of members ofthe Jewish community mirrors the emigration of mmbers of all communities who hold dual nationaliies and the economic means to leave Venezuela (Note: The Jewish community's numbers have reduced from 25,000 to about 15,000 over the past ten years, according to our contacts. End note.). Still, the Jewish community is clearly feeling prssure from the government. Although no physicalattacks have occurred and Jewish leaders submit tat they are still relatively free to practice thir religion, the community feels threatened by wat they perceive is a heightened atmosphere of ati-Semitism in Venezuela, fed largely by BRV stateents and actions. They fear that, combined with he BRV's fierce criticisms of Israel, the burgeoing relationship with Iran, and the lack of tranparency about BRV policy towards Middle East terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, the situation of the Jewish community may worsen and the community is concerned this could possibly lead to a physical attack. DUDDY