Antisemitism, real or imagined? Chávez, Iran, Israel, and the Jews

Discusses the regime of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela from December 1998, including its relationship to the local Jewish community. Chávez instituted changes and constitutional reforms that gained broad public support, while alienating members of elites that were close to former leaders. Jews have been among the opponents of the president, and suspicions concerning Jewish conspiracies have led to raids on Jewish institutions. Chávez's radical rhetoric includes antisemitic expressions, and have been expanded upon by some of his supporters. He was, apparently, influenced by antisemitic stereotypes propounded by the sociologist Norberto Ceresole. The regime's anti-Israel stance has been encouraged by its close relations with Holocaust-denying, Israel-hating Iran. Concludes that the threat to the future of the Jews in Venezuela will increase if the populist president does not take steps to decrease anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric and to halt actions against the Jewish community.