Editing Foreign relations of Israel (section)

=== Venezuela ===
{{Main|Israel–Venezuela relations}}

Relations were once strong, but the bilateral ties soured under the [[List of Presidents of Venezuela|Presidency]] of [[Hugo Chávez]] in Venezuela.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5258722.stm |title=Venezuela 'to sever Israel ties' |work=BBC News |date=9 August 2006}}</ref> The Jewish population in Venezuela, which peaked at 45,000,<ref name="Hurricane">[[Thor Halvorssen Mendoza|Halvorssen, Thor.]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20050805020012/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/903jhsjt.asp Hurricane Hugo.] ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'', 8 August 2005, Volume 010, Issue 44. Also available at [https://web.archive.org/web/20080411141356/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0RMQ/is_44_10/ai_n14895831/print LookSmart.]</ref> is now below 15,000 "as a result of severe instability in the country", according to the Israeli [[Stephen Roth Institute]].<ref name="SRI">[[Stephen Roth Institute]]. [http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2004/venezuela.htm Annual Report 2004: Venezuela.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023195546/http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2004/venezuela.htm |date=23 October 2006 |access-date=11 August 2006}}</ref> ''[[The Miami Herald]]'', ''Jewish Times'', and Jewish organizations have reported large-scale emigration of Jewish people from Venezuela during the Chávez administration.<ref>Berrios, Jerry. [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15237356.htm S. Fla. Venezuelans: Chavez incites anti-Semitism.] {{dead link|date=March 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''The Miami Herald'' (10 August 2006).</ref><ref>Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. [https://archive.today/20071022003212/http://www.jewishpalmbeach.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=105983 JCRC expresses concern with Venezuelan unrest.] Retrieved 11 August 2006.</ref> As a result of the [[2006 Israel–Gaza conflict|June/July 2006 battles]] in the [[Gaza Strip]], Venezuela withdrew its ambassador to Israel. Following the Israeli attack on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, Venezuela cut its diplomatic ties with Israel. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez called the attack "genocidal", and urged that Israeli Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert]] be tried for war crimes.