{
  "id": 608953,
  "title": "Venezuela resumes consular services with Israel",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/venezuela-resumes-consular-services-with-israel",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-11T22:23:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/12/venezuela-resumes-consular-services-with-israel"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "CARACAS: Venezuela and Israel have agreed to restore consular services and maintain technical cooperation, signaling a step toward normalizing relations severed since 2009, the Venezuelan foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. Diplomatic ties between the two nations broke off in January 2009 when then-president Hugo Chavez expelled the Israeli ambassador following an Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Despite this rift, Israel provided humanitarian aid and rescue workers to Venezuela following devastating earthquakes in June.\n\nThe renewed relationship arises under interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who took office after the US captured Nicolas Maduro in January. The two countries have pledged to continue bilateral technical cooperation from the earthquake recovery efforts and establish a coordination mechanism for consular services.\n\nRodriguez met with the chief rabbi of the Venezuelan Jewish Association, Isaac Cohen, on Sunday, who emphasized the need for restored diplomatic relations to address the community's needs. The World Jewish Congress estimates that approximately 6,000 Jews reside in Venezuela.\n\nChavez and his successor, Maduro, had previously expressed their rejection of Israel, once branding Palestine a legitimate state. During a speech in 2010, Chavez vehemently denounced the state of Israel. Meanwhile, Venezuela deepened its ties with Iran, particularly under Chavez and Maduro, through oil deals amid US sanctions and blockades against both nations.\n\nRodriguez faces discontent from more radical elements of Chavismo, the left-wing populist and socialist movement founded on Chavez's ideology. On July 24, roughly 100 Maduro supporters protested against the rapprochement with Washington, burning US and Israeli flags.",
  "summary": "Relations were severed in January 2009 after then-president Hugo Chavez expelled Israel’s ambassador over a military offensive in Gaza.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}