Israeli Delegation Heads to Venezuela for Earthquake Aid, First Senior Contact in 17 Years
An Israeli aid delegation is set to arrive in Venezuela within hours to assist victims of a recent earthquake. The team is led by Ambassador Yoed Magen, who oversees Venezuelan affairs at Israel's Latin America division, and includes 28 members such as eight engineers from the Home Front Command and representatives from the Foreign Ministry. Additional experts from the Home Front Command and the National Emergency Authority are expected to join later. The delegation will collaborate closely with Venezuelan counterparts to assess and address urgent needs on the ground.
This mission follows rare direct communication between senior Israeli and Venezuelan officials, with Magen holding a phone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil. This marked the first such contact since diplomatic ties were severed in 2009 after Operation Cast Lead. Gil emphasized the need to focus on rehabilitation efforts, particularly for the many homeless people struggling to cope with the aftermath. Magen explained that Israeli engineers will evaluate the safety of buildings and hospitals damaged by the quake to determine whether they can be reoccupied or require demolition.
Due to the absence of formal diplomatic relations and an Israeli embassy in Venezuela, organizing the mission faced logistical challenges and delays. The delegation will land in Valencia, as civilian flights to Caracas are unavailable, and then travel two hours to the capital. Magen, who lived in Caracas and Valencia as a child, described the mission as a personal closure. The Israeli team will not engage in rescue operations, as chances of finding survivors are minimal; instead, they will concentrate on reconstruction and humanitarian aid.
The Venezuelan Jewish community, which suffered three fatalities and three missing persons in the earthquake, will provide logistical support to the Israeli delegation. Many of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in Caracas have predominantly Jewish populations, with around 20 families losing their homes. While the Foreign Minister stressed that diplomatic relations remain severed, he acknowledged Israel’s prompt humanitarian response. Magen expressed hope that this mission might pave the way for renewed ties between the two countries, though the future remains uncertain.
