Hugo Chavez says Israeli tourists not welcomed
October 28, 2009
We all have heard of "the ugly American" and of the unfriendly reception US tourists receive in many countries especially in France. Well now there is "the ugly Israeli" especially in Venezuela.
Ever since the 22 day brutal and merciless bombardment of homes, schools, hospitals and mosques in Gaza by the Israeli criminal regime, many Israeli tourists are receiving the cold shoulder in countries they visit and some do not want them at all. It is no surprise that high level Israeli government and military officials do not dare set foot in certain countries for fear of being arrested but snubbing the regular Israeli citizen is a relative new phenomena.
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| President Hugo Chavez Frias of Venezuela affectionately known as "Chavez of Arabia" throughout the Middle East |
Last week an Israeli tour group scheduled to visit Venezuela was forced to cancel its trip due to its inability to obtain visas from the Venezuelan government. According to Arutz Sheva News, a group of 13 Israelis was set to fly to Venezuela but the tour company, Echo Outdoor Touring Ltd., had to cancel because it was unable to obtain the required visas.
Soon after the Israeli government massacred over 1,400 Palestinian civilians of which over 300 were children, President Hugo Chavez kicked out the Israeli ambassador from Caracas and Israel retaliated by expelling Venezuela's ambassador to Israel. Today Israelis seeking a Venezuelan visa must apply through a consulate outside Israel.
The Israeli tour company Echo contacted Venezuelan embassies and diplomatic personnel in Kenya, Spain, Greece, Italy, Germany and Colombia for visas and was finally told to contact the Venezuelan embassy in Amman, Jordan. "There, to our surprise, they demanded that we appear in person with a pile of documentation in order to receive the visas," said Echo CEO Ronen Raz. In addition Raz explained, "There are those who are afraid to travel to Jordan." There is an increasing number of countries that are off limits to Israelis.
According to Ronen Raz, the Venezuelan embassy in Amman, Jordan requested a letter in English from each traveler's place of employment, original bank statements going back three months, an English-language medical affirmation of health, and more. The Israelis finally got the hint and they cancelled their scheduled tourist trip to Venezuela
www.aztlan.net/israeli_tourists_not_welcomed.htm