As Oil Plunges, Jews the New Scapegoat in Venezuela?

This isn't what I normally blog about but I think its terribly important that word gets out quickly about what is happening in Venezuela. I was told about this developing situation by my Venezuelan relatives who are trying to get the world to take notice.

This past weekend CNN reported that an armed gang of 15 men broke into Caracas' largest synagogue -- vandalizing and ransacking the place. Horrible, but sadly somewhat commonplace. What is really disturbing is this:

The men stole computers and administrative papers or documents, officials said. They did not cover their faces, but took the recordings from security cameras with them.

As my cousin wrote to me:

Pay special attention to what the perpetrators retrieved from the administrative offices of the synagogue this morning: computer hard drives, containing the database with the names, addresses, of almost every Jewish family in Venezuela. This includes donor lists, member lists, Jewish school lists, many including residences and place of business. This was not an act of common, even professional anti-semitic vandalism. This was a well-planned mission to retrieve the name and address of every Jew in Venezuela. You know what this means. And if you think the Venezuelan government is going to do anything about it, forget about it. With this list in the hands of this highly trained and organized group, every Venezuelan Jew is at risk. This cannot happen again.

The deeper back story is reported here, with much more alarming detail. As Sammy Eppel, a Jewish community leader (member of the CAIV - Confederación Asociaciones Israelitas de Venezuela) and columnist from El Universal, says:

I believe that this is the result of the call to action published by the government press,which has been publishing an increasing number of specific anti-Semitic articles over the past few months. The state's official and unacceptable position of hostility toward the Jewish community dates back to 2004.

The break-in occurred days after the publication of a call to action by a professor at the Venezuelan Bolivarian University against the Jews of Venezuela. Given the fact that an organized gang has now seized the names and address of almost all Venezuelan Jews, the suggestions, which were published in the pro-government digital newspaper Aporrea.org, are even more threatening:

• "To publicly challenge every Jew that you find in the street, shopping center or park to take a stand shouting at them slogans in favor of Palestine and against that abortion: Israel."
• "Denounce publicly, with names and last names the members of powerful Jewish groups present in Venezuela"
• "...capitalist agents as these Zionist Hebrews are the thing that hurts them most is the pocket (including Jehovah) it is inappropriate to buy their products and go to their stores and to the stores, supermarkets, restaurants, etc., that have relations with them or are owned by them"
• "...question the existence in Venezuela of educational institutions for Jews only"
• "...Public, massive, periodic concentrations not only in front of the Israeli embassy but also in front of all Jewish institutions"
• "Detect and watch, by the intelligence entities of the State and by the social comptroller of the organized peoples, the undercover agents of Mossad and NGOs and other groups of the so called civil society (including the filthy ("escuálidos") students of the private and autonomous universities) that have received advise and financing from the artificial state of israel,"
• "Purge the government institutions of those filthy officials, that with or without the red beret act in favor of the interests of Zionist groups located in our country."
• "Nationalization of the companies and confiscation of the assets of the Zionist jews that support the excesses of the nazi fascist state of israel and the immediate donation of said assets to the Palestinians, victims of the present holocaust."

— from ¿Cómo apoyar a Palestina frente al estado artificial de israel? (Translation: How to help Palestine against the artificial state of Israel), January 20, 2009.

On January 18, 2009 the president and secretary general of the Maccabi Latin America Confederation wrote an open letter stating:

...since the events in Gaza that began on December 27 2008, the present government of Venezuela has adopted an aggressive and dangerous tone never previously heard, clearly inciting against the Jewish Community. The Government's supporters nationwide picked up on the Government's lead with clearly anti-Semitic expressions -- with no effort whatsoever by Government to stop them. The expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador followed, and subsequently, a final breaking off of diplomatic relations.

Furthermore, there is a well-orchestrated campaign on TV, radio, print and Internet media owned by the government, openly questioning Israel's right to exist, even including publication of such anti-Semitic materials as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. A group of pro-government journalists is urging the population to boycott businesses owned by Jews in Venezuela."

You've got to wonder. The dramatic decline in price of oil has got to have made life much tougher for Chavez and his government. Could he now be looking for the traditional scapegoat -- the Jews -- to blame for the challenges Venezuela is about to go through? Let's hope that the world takes notice and doesn't wait until it is too late.

Comments

[Argie505]

It is not surprising that this has transpired. Since Venezuela is a member of OPEC, they have close relations with the petro states of the Gulf, none of whom recognize Israel's existence. Only Qatar amongst them has any relations with Israel. It is undoubtable that the synagogue attackers were inspired by both Chavez and the actions in Gaza. Chavez has had to condemn the attacks just as he condemned FARC's actions because he fears being labeled a terrorist.

[Prattvictory2]

Pinchas Brenner who supported the 2002 coup and was at the Presidential Palace after Hugo Chavez was arrested is the Chief Rabbi of Venezuela.

[Ergon]

Oh btw, the article you refer to? It was removed the same day, with fulsome apologies; perhaps you didn't know that.

[Ergon]

The Venezuelan side is stated here: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3148
"Anti-semiticism or Anti-Imperialism?" and shows how many prominent Jews have clearly been identified with being dedicated to overthrow of the social reforms of the Bolivarian revolution.
I read the articles referred to here in Aporrea and see they were written during the attack on Gaza.
Bless my liberal heart, I think the language is a tad muscular concerning 'the Jews' but no biggie when compared to what is written in MSM and Jewish circles about Muslims and Palestinians. I also note the context of the Jewish relationship with South America, with control of slavery, sugar plantations, and drugs, and if native South Americans should then use illiberal language concerning Jews, so what?
Knowing the kindness of the Latin American Catholic people, I don't expect a pogrom to ever take place in South America, but if the poor escpapegoats should ever feel threatened, they can always immigrate to Israel and disposess another Palestinian.

[JacksonJones]

"with control of slavery, sugar plantations, and drugs, and if native South Americans should then use illiberal language concerning Jews, so what?"

And if white folks use the "N" word, so what, too, right?

When did you start to embrace the idea of collective guilt?

"Knowing the kindness of the Latin American Catholic people, I don't expect a pogrom to ever take place in South America"

Erm....ser­iously? Are you completely unaware of the long history of political violence in SA? Are you seriously suggesting that there's just something about the folks down there in SA that makes them immune to the kind of tendencies that have afflicted everyone else around the globe?

Seriously.­...?

[GuillermoGodinez]

One has to put this all into context. With petroleum prices at their lowest point in recent history the upcoming referendum on presidential perpetuity and the Venezuelan economy without sufficient eggs, milk and other staples the government needs to create all the bogeyman it can. It also serves multiple purposes by currying favor with the Iran, Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. As a part Jewish Latin American with family in Colombia if this all goes to a worst case scenario I think it will look less like the German persecution of the Jewish community and more like what happened to Colombia's Jews in the 80s and 90s. They were extorted and kidnapped for money. The Chavez government is not a Nazi state it is a mafia state. Does anyone realize that during his tenure the Venezuelan capital has become the most dangerous city in the Western Hemisphere five times more deaths per 100,000 than neighboring Bogotá which is the capital of a country at war. All this geopolitical stuff is interesting, but it all comes down to mafia politics and fighting for control over drugs and other contraband.

[courtb]

That's really interesting. Please excuse my ignorance, but what was the reaction of the government and the rest of Latin America to the kidnappings of Colombian Jews?

[JacksonJones]

"I think it will look less like the German persecution of the Jewish community and more like what happened to Colombia's Jews in the 80s and 90s. They were extorted and kidnapped for money."

Really? Because "Ergon" upthread a bit is convinced that "the kindness of the Latin American Catholic people" makes them immune to that sort of thing.

[crespibl]

No Rolo (and to the Rolo likes) , that is not the bottom line.

The bottom line, is that we are talking about the livelihood of 12,000 +/- Jews in Venezuela, our family, our friend, our friends children who are no party to any conflict, however are being intimidated and threatened by their government and their neighbors.

As an American citizen, your government will defend you at any cost, doesn’t mater your ethnicity, religion, gender orientation – you expect this, and you get this. So lets get back to the point, who will stand up for the Jewish community in Venezuela, we know you wont. But then again, I know more than a handful of Jewish American soldiers, that are putting their life in the line for you, for your rights as an American citizen. So if you are going to talk to us, talk to us about a solution to help these 12,000 lives, not justifying why they are living the reality they are.

[RoloTomassi]

Excuse me, but you are now crossing over the LINE; you do NOT get to tell ME what MY bottom line is, and you have a very selective knowledge about what does and does not go on between US citizes and the government here [which is the same allowance I give you, as I am not Venezuelan and do not experience the situation in country].

And you need to understand, I discuss these issues as I please, and I don't give a rat's a$$ what you think of my position, nor do I care about your absurd notions concerning the relationship between the US military and my rights as a US citizen.

I call it like I see it--although I try to inform myself to the best of my ability--and if it doesn't fit your selective reality then so be it.

[JacksonJones]

Sorry Rolo. It's an open forum, and crespibl get's to say what he thinks the bottom line is, too. Of course, you've a right to rant about it, which you've excercised, but you seem to be the one playing idea cop.

[crespibl]

Rolo, excuse you? why do you think this has anything to do with you? Nothing I said, has anything to do with you. This is not about YOU, or I for that mater. And quite frankly I don’t give a rat’s a$$ about your bottom line, or what you may dream about from the safety of your home.
The hole point of Daniels original post, was not to have an ideological conversation, it was to make the people who care aware of what’s going on, so they can do something about it. If you don’t care, and you are not going to be helpful in finding a solution then stand aside, so “we” whom ever may be can stand forward and do something to help these 12,000 innocent people.

[Prattvictory2]

There were over 100 American citizens in Gaza during they latest act of barbarity. George Bush and the American military did nothing to insure their safety. You were saying . . .

[crespibl]

Prattvitory - Go talk to Rolo, he knows more than me about “relationship between the US military and my (his) rights as a US citizen” And apparently, I have “a very selective knowledge about what does and does not go on between US citizens and the government”.

So I’m not going there, you and Rolo can have a party figuring that one out. I will focus on my friends and family in Venezuela – that is why we are here, right? Or am I on another blog.

[HighHorse]

Sure, a jewish american citizen, but for the rest of us non-jewish citizens, our government
does not care about US .......At All

[Mollabaji]

If a group of people become "escapegoats", there must be because that group of people have been doing something that is resented by the public in general like cheating, robbing, stealing, etc.
In hard times, people show their anger against those injustices. What is surprising?

[JacksonJones]

Hmmmm....e­veryone just gets what they deserve, huh? I somehow doubt that you actually have the courage of that retrograde conviction. Let me restate and see if you agree:

"If people in Gaza are being hurt by the Israel, it must be because that group of people have been doing something that is resented by the public in general like shooting rockets at Israelis, etc.
In hard times, people show their anger against those injustices. What is surprising?"

[courtb]

I don't know if that's a typo, as I have never heard the phrase "escapegoat" before, and by looking it up on urban dictionary, it's not very nice.

But as it also doesn't fit with the rest of your sentence, I'm assuming you mean "scapegoat", which is defined as: "One that is made to bear the blame of others" or a more in depth definition: "the deliberate policy of blaming an individual or group when in reality there is no one person or group responsible for the problem. It means blaming another group or individual for things they did not really do. Those whom we scapegoat become objects of our aggression in word and deed. Prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory acts lead to scapegoating. Members of the disliked groups might be denied employment, housing, political rights or social privileges. Scapegoating can lead to verbal and physical violence, including death."

So tell me, what did the Jews do to deserve being scapegoats to the Nazis? Heck, what about everyone else who has been a scapegoat for a society: "witches", blacks, Irish, homosexuals, lepers, the lower class, disabled, gypsies, etc. The list goes on and on. Were they all cheating, robbing, stealing, etc?

[pkafin]

That's a pretty harsh assessment of the Palestinians. I'm quite certain most of them are not "doing something that is resented by the public in general". Perhaps you should have more compassion for those who are victimized.

[HighHorse]

Totally TRUE

[crespibl]

Rolo i know you like facts. Before you challenge sources of information implying that they are incorrect, do your own research. www.Aporrea.org – which you all know about, and its anti-Jewish content. Is registered to: Martin Sanchez, Consul General of Venezuela in Chicago. You want to see the source:
http://whois.domaintools.com/aporrea.org
Now, as far as I remember, the Consul General of Venezuela is a representative of the Venezuelan government, and a legal proxy to Mr. Hugo Chavez.
Here is another fact for you, this web site www.aporrea.comm) is hosted right here in the USA
209.85.51.228 is from United States(US) in region North America by: opticaljungle.com

[RoloTomassi]

So as not to repeat the same concepts and statements, I will refer you to the discussion I had with alekboyd further down this thread.

But my bottom line, simplified, is this: we have two polarized political factions involved, multiple complicating political alliances, and everyone involved seems to have ulterior motives.

For now, at least, you could do much, much worse than Hugo Chavez; and if rightwingers here in the US had their way [the group most closely aligned with Israeli interests and deeply opposed to Chavez], they'd just as soon see you ruled by a true dictator, possibly a Friedmanite stooge much like Pinochet.

[Prattvictory2]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3148

When you have a rabbi in the Presidential Palace taking part in the 2002 coup doesn't the Venezuelan Jewish community need to distance itself from such religious leaders?

What came first the kristallnacht or the putsch?

[crespibl]

Are you saying that because a religious leader sided with the authors of the coup, then the community as a whole should be targeted? Or are you making the community responsible for their leaders. Please clarify.

[chaos4700]

Isn't that what Israel did to the Gazans for the sake of Hamas? Isn't that much irony painful?

[Prattvictory2]

When a religious leader sides with the authors of a coup then the community shouldn't distance themselves from that religious leader? If he didn't quit on his own he should have been publicly rebuked and fired.

It is as though the rabbi gives a religious endorsement of the coup. We're talking about the overthrow of a democratically elected government. That's unacceptable.

[chaos4700]

So a bunch of vandals break into a synagogue half way across the world and suddenly we're supposed to believe it's the Holocaust mark 2? Seriously, no one trivializes and makes cliche the true horrors of the Holocaust like Zionists. I should know... My own family and the family of my friends were victims of the Nazi persecution machine as well. I have German Catholic heritage (kulturkampf, anyone?) as well as Polish heritage. One of my friends comes from a Slavic family and his mother was in a concentration camp. You know what sort of response I get when I take note of this to Jewish people? "So what? You're not Jewish. You can't possibly understand what suffering is really like." Seriously. That's the response I've gotten in the threads here, and to a lesser extent with other encounters with Israelis.

And even if the Venezuelan government was involved -- and really, there's no reason to believe that at this point -- the Mossad is notorious for engaging in aggressive tactics on foreign soil. I wouldn't find it hard to believe at all that the Venezuelan government would anticipate -- with good reason -- that Israel would ramp up its operations in one of the few countries brave enough to not only openly denounce the atrocities taking place in Gaza, but also put action behind the words by kicking out the Israeli ambassador.

[JacksonJones]

No one trivializes the Holocaust more than folks like you that inject it where it wasn't before....­for the purpose of trivializing it.

"So a bunch of vandals break into a synagogue.­..."

Looks like you missed the bit about them targeting the hard drives and databases. Looks like you missed it on purpose, in fact.

It's one thing to have a rational debate and discussion, it's quite another thing to misrepresent the article, drop in a Holocaust reference, then denounce Holocaust references, all in what appears to be a rather dishonest and frothy-mouthed reaction to a fairly level-headed artcile about what might (note, the article does not claim certainty) be taking place in Venezualea.

XYZ, chaos, your preconceived notions are showing.

[chaos4700]

If you're worried we're going to see pogroms in Venezuela now, Chicken Little, you're going to be left waiting for a long time. Feel free to say "I told you so" if it does happen, but Venezuela is hardly like the West Bank where Jewish settlers regularly done masks, go out beyond their security perimeters and set fire to Palestinian orchards and buildings.

[HighHorse]

Well Said

[AmericaWakeup]

Very well put. Thank You so much

[crespibl]

If you have any doubt that the Venezuelan government (and Mr. Chavez) support a anti-jewish campaign, then I will direct you to the state sponsored media outlet www.aporrea.comm) – you can browse through 3.530 articles referring to the Jews (you cant find . As alekboyd kindly pointed out , aporrea.com was created by Venezuela's Consul in Chicago. And if you dig in a little bit, you will also find out that aporrea.com runs in your own back-yard, yes, it is hosted in the USA.
http://www.google.co.ve/search?hl=es&domains=aporrea.org&sitesearch=aporrea.org&q=judios&start=0&sa=N

If you need anything translated, let me know, I would kindly translate for you this article, in aporrea.com – what respectable news channel would ever allow for something like this to be published. Let me tell you, one that communicates the word of Hugo Chavez.
http://www.aporrea.org/ddhh/a69977.html

Que los judíos se agrupen todos, los que andan por el mundo en
Israel.Com­o la mayoría de los venezolanos estamos con la decisión
tomada por el Presidente nuestro, por el humanista Chávez. Los que
anhelamos de todo corazón es que SE ROMPA RELACIONES DE TODA ÍNDOLE
con ese gobierno asesino, cruel, macabro, que no tiene un centímetro
de dolor para ser llamado HUMANO.

[crespibl]

This is a very clear message to the Jewish community in Venezuela to say away from Hugo Chavez politics. Mr. Chavez knows his game, and this time he knew how to distance himself from it .
On Dec 1/2007, at 12:30 a.m, a day before the referendum to change the constitution, agents of the DISIP descended on the Jewish Community Center (Hebraica), they found nothing. But left a very clear message behind. This time 15 days before another referendum ( this time to abolish presidential term limit), it happened again. The message is loud and clear: we know who you are, where you live, your business, and who are your children. Can you hear the message?
This is not about Gaza, about the Palestinians, its about Mr. Hugo Chavez, and he will stop at nothing for la revolucion . Do you think Hugo is going to find the perpetrators?, come on. what message would this send to Iran, his new partners? I'm sure you get the picture. I'm from Venezuela, and a Jew. And I remember as kid (not to long after Munich) our school (Hebraica - the same raided by the police last year) participating in bomb drills, and terrorist attack evacuation drills. But we always felt safe, because we lived in Venezuela, a place that took our grandparents after the war, as one of their own. So what has changed? I will tell you, his name is Hugo Chavez Frias, and we are not part of his plan.

[chaos4700]

And your analysis isn't at all influenced by what you might think about his populist, socialist policies that have worked to keep wealth from being siphoned away from the comparatively poor indigenous majority to the elite European minority. Not at all, I'm sure.

[crespibl]

Chaos – you must be responding to someone else. Because, we are not talking about his populist, socialist policies. All the power to him if he feeds his people. But don’t feed your people hatred, which is what he is doing. And if you don’t see that in black and white, then I will gladly translate for you and any other here.

[RoloTomassi]

The deeper pro-Chavez back story is illustrated in the following article from last year:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/3148

One thing is perfectly clear to me: folks coming down on either side of this issue with bombastic statements [as if they know exactly what is happening and why] are acting in an irresponsible manner--this truly is an issue where reality is defined on your political ideology and personal POV.

I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle, and you're not likely to see that in a written statement from either faction.

[alekboyd]

You are, of course, correct in stating that the truth is somewhere in the middle. However much you recourse to officially funded propaganda sites though, such as Venezuelanalysis, it remains factual:
1) that Hugo Chavez was mentored by an Argentine Holocaust denier (Norberto Ceresole);
2) that he has insulted and made outlandish and baseless accusations against the Jewish community;
3) that his regime did not find any evidence of a --to-this-date unsubstantiated assassination plot-- in two separate raids to the Jewish school in Caracas (Colegio Hebraica);
4) that he has sought, established and promoted alliances with groups bent on obliterating Israel;
5) that he is proud of his anti-Israel position;
6) that the attacks against religion --not only Jewish but Catholic-- are a trademark of his regime and are a first in Venezuelan contemporary history.

[RoloTomassi]

And who, pray tell, "officially funds" the so-called "factual information" that you are so adamant about? What are your sources, and more importantly, what are your motivations?

[Ergon]

You must hope that most people can't read Spanish. The website shows Chavez condemning the synagogue attack.

[RoloTomassi]

Okay, I went out and did a little searching on this, and I think it’s fair to assert two things about this issue:

1) Cross-condemnation for this act is occurring, the motivations on both sides are very political, and likely both sides are opportunistic in their assessments of the incident.

2) The hysteria promoted by this article is patently absurd and irresponsible.


This from anti-Chavez blogger Daniel Duquenal in Venezuela:

“It does not matter if Chavez wins on February 15: the civilized and thinking country is against him and he will not be able to build the country with the mediocre sycophantic folks he tries to "educate" in his campuses.”

I do have to wonder…would those of the “civilized and thinking country” happen to be of non-indigenous, European-stock people who support “free markets” and US policies?

Other coverage of the synagogue vandalism story:

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/63979/chavez-condemns-synagogue-attack.html

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3665295,00.html

And finally, from the pro-Chavez website venezuelanalysis [also has pictures of the vandalized synagogue] :

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4160