Three Revolutionary Governments Condemn Israeli Attack on Gaza

Three Revolutionary Governments Condemn
Israel’s Attack on Gaza
Statements by Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia

The Revolutionary Government of Cuba has not had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1973, when it broke all ties prior to Israel’s brutal invasion of the Golan Heights. It has continued its strong support of the Palestinian people, issuing a statement condemning Israel’s siege on Gaza as “the bloodiest attack Israel has ever launched against the Palestinian people,” and reiterating “its unswerving solidarity and support for the heroic and long-suffering Palestinian people.”

Venezuela followed this important example, expelling its Israeli Ambassador on January 6th and cutting all diplomatic relations with Israel on January 14th. The Venezuelan government also issued a statement emphasizing, “In this tragic and outrageous time, the people of Venezuela express their unequivocal solidarity with the Palestinian people…and affirm that the Venezuelan government will not rest until it sees punishment falling on those responsible for these atrocious crimes.”

Bolivia has promised to take Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, to the International Criminal Court for “genocide”, after also breaking all diplomatic relations with Israel on January 14th. President Evo Morales stated, “The international community cannot allow this genocide in Palestine to go on,” and the Bolivian government pledged to work with Venezuela to send food aid to the Gaza Strip. Venezuela’s first aid shipment, containing 12.5 tons of medicine, has already arrived in Egypt.

Statement by Cuba:

Havana, December 28, 2008 (Prensa Latina) -- Cuba has strongly condemned Israel’s massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have left more than 200 Palestinians dead and hundreds of other wounded.

In a statement issued in Havana, the Cuban revolutionary government called Israel’s military operation "criminal", terming it as “the bloodiest attack Israel has ever launched against the Palestinian people”.

The text notes such air raids are taking place amidst the illegal blockade the Israel government has enforced on the Gaza Strip over the last 18 months, with the aim of Palestinians, including children, women and elderly, to surrender by hunger and disease. "Cuba strongly condemns this genocidal act by the Israeli government which violates the main principles of international law and the United National Charter", added the text.

"The Cuban government also urges the international community to condemn the massacre and to request an immediate end for the attacks against the Palestinian civil population. Cuba reiterates its unswerving solidarity and support for the heroic and long-suffering Palestinian people."

Statement by Venezuela:

December 27, 2008 -- The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Ch?vez, on behalf of the Bolivarian government, and as spokesperson of the Venezuelan people, wants to express his deep indignation at the criminal attack by Israel perpetrated against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

In this sense, the Bolivarian government expresses its solidarity with the Palestinian people and raises its voice before the international community in order to launch a massive rejection campaign of these terrible and violent actions; through which [the Israel government] tries to eliminate the life expectancy of an entire people.

The only government of the world that has been an accessory to this attack has been the US government. And the statements issued by its spokesperson, Gordon Johndroe, are astonishing, since he said the only way to stop violence in the region is by stopping attacks against Israel.

This action could be the invariable “hallmark” of the criminal administration of the outgoing government of the United States; a dying term of office full of violence, which is known worldwide for its persistent disrespect of human rights.

The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela calls on those countries loving peace and justice to raise their protesting voices against this aggression. It also urges the United Nations Organisation to exert its authority and impose the numerous resolutions adopted in favour of the Palestinian people and against the state violence practiced by Israel government. This is the only way to guarantee a lasting peace and the end of these [attacks], which are absolutely against the United Nations Charter and other international regulations.

*UPDATE: On January 5, Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest of the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza. On January 14, Venezuelan government cut all diplomatic relations with Israel.

Statement by Bolivia:

Faced with the extreme seriousness the ongoing events in Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory of 360km2, inhabited by 1,5 million people, the Bolivian Government deplores and express its most categorical rejection and condemnation of Israel government criminal aggression. The Israeli aerial attacks and the blockade over Gaza represent a severe and massive infringement of Humanitarian International Law, killing civilians, carrying out collective punishment against all the population of the region under the argument of responding to the action of certain militants, when in fact it was Israel that broke the truce by prolonging the blockade, that has been starving and devastating inhabitants of Gaza. This act become further worse, due that civilian targets that cannot be define as military like university study centres, are being hitby these attacks.

The Bolivian Government demands an immediate cease of this acts of aggression from the State of Israel against the Palestinian people, that have already resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, affecting civilians including children.

The Bolivian Goverment demands that the United Nations and the Security Council, within the framework of the resolutions concerning to the conflict between Palestine and Israel, adopt a firm position of condemnation against Israel and urges the discard a military solution, by the State of Israel for an issue thatdemmands, above all, the acknowledgement of a viable Palestinian State as stipulated U.N. Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), the Oslo Accords within the 1967 borders.

*UPDATE: On January 14, Bolivia broke off diplomatic relations with Israel over the attacks on Gaza, and called for Israeli leaders to be tried in the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.