I’m staying temporarily with some people who are generally inclined to believe that the defacing of at least one Venezuelan synagogue (that I’ve seen) and today’s news that another has been forcibly entered and vandalised, mean that Chavez should not have thrown out the Israeli ambassador. Perhaps he should not even have uttered a negative word about the state of Israel; we didn’t get that far in our one and only conversation on the matter.
If Chavez had supposed that his action (even if not anti-semitic in itself) would provoke an anti-semitic sector/give them legitimacy to indulge in religious discrimination and criminal acts, would that render him culpable for today’s news? This is, of course, assuming that the criminals are even revolutionary — and how revolutionary can they really claim to be? Revolutionary maybe, socialists almost certainly not. Their apparent contempt for the reputation of the revolution suggests they are more closely alligned with the opposition.
No-one could not have assumed any such vigilantism would result from what Chavez must have seen as (and it was) an important step towards defeating the Israeli PR machine and its global propaganda effort to diminish the crimes carried out against Gaza. But even if it was entirely predictable, one would have to weigh the positive results of Chavez’s outspoken stance in a global sense, against the negative effects suffered by Jewish members of Venezuelan society.
I’d suggest that the vast majority of synagogues in Venezuela remain untouched, and that there has not been a single reported case of aggression or discrimination against any Jews here. And yes, they are as likely to dress traditionally as in any other country. Chavistas, the immense majority of them, have absolutely nothing against any faith or any regular citizen of any race, nationality or persuasion. It’s an incredibly easy-going society, led by a president who repeatedly calls for humanitarian values, morals, conscience, enlightenment, and peace.
My instincts are to agree with you.
It’s very distressing.