Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday reiterated his rejection to the recent anti-Semitic moves in the country.
Maduro's remarks came after his meeting with David Bittan, vice president of the Israeli Association of Venezuela (AIV) in the wake of an intrusion by an armed group into the AIV building and a violent attack on the oldest synagogue in Caracas.
The minister called on the 15,000-member Jewish community in Venezuela not to believe rumors about the anti-Semitic policies of the Venezuelan government.
Maduro said the attacks were discreditable action by the political opposition to try to take advantage in the electoral campaigns.
Anti-Semitic sentiment seems to be on the rise in Venezuela amid the country's diplomatic spat with Israel over its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which killed some 1,300 Palestinians.
An armed group of 15 men on Saturday broke into the AIV building and destroyed Jewish symbols after overcoming the security guards.
The group also vandalized the oldest synagogue in Caracas in what Jewish leaders called the worst attack on their community in the country.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry ordered two Venezuelan envoys to leave this week after Venezuela expelled on Jan. 6 all Israeli diplomats in protest against the offensive in Gaza.
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2009)