After 17 Years Of Severed Ties, ZAKA Mission Helps Pave Way For Renewed Israel-Venezuela Relations

After 17 years without formal diplomatic relations, Israel and Venezuela are restoring consular ties and establishing an official coordination channel between the two nations. The development follows the deployment of an Israeli humanitarian delegation to Venezuela less than a month earlier in response to a devastating earthquake.

The Israeli mission included ZAKA volunteers, members of the IDF Home Front Command, and other professionals who assisted local authorities with rescue, assistance, and identification efforts. The delegation was led by Rabbi Yosef Garmon, commander of ZAKA South America.

According to ZAKA, the humanitarian operation received a warm reception from Venezuelan government officials and served as a significant communication channel between the countries during their period without formal relations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked at the time that the mission was "rebuilding the ruins and also the relations."

ZAKA CEO Tzvi Hassid said the organization's volunteers went to Venezuela with a singular focus. "We did not go there to talk about politics or diplomacy. We went there as human beings to fellow human beings," He stated, adding that the volunteers provided rescue assistance and aid to victims.

Baruch Nidam, director of ZAKA's International Division, said the operation demonstrated how humanitarian work can transcend diplomatic barriers. "Our activity in Venezuela proved once again that the language of saving lives is an international language," He said, noting that ZAKA personnel worked alongside local professionals in a country that had not had relations with Israel for 17 years. He added that the volunteers brought "the Israeli spirit of mutual responsibility, accountability and respect for human dignity."