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Israel Welcomes U.S. Attack on Venezuela as a Blow to the Iranian Axis
(Ha'aretz) Liza Rozovsky - Israeli officials see Saturday's U.S. military attack on Venezuela as a blow to the Iranian axis, which has established itself in the country in recent decades through Hizbullah and the Revolutionary Guards. Jerusalem views the Maduro regime as Iran's gateway to Latin America. Senior Revolutionary Guards figures have acquired Venezuelan citizenship, allowing them to move freely throughout South America and expand Iran's influence in the region. Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, severed diplomatic relations with Jerusalem in 2009. Since the days Chavez was in power, the Islamic Republic has been one of Venezuela's main allies, with extensive economic and military cooperation. Aiding Hizbullah's entrenchment in Venezuela is the country's large Lebanese community. Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, said Iran has used Venezuela as a base for terrorist cells, including one involved in a plot to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico, which was thwarted by Mexican authorities in November. The Israeli government would prefer to see as president Edmundo Gonzalez, the diplomat and opposition figure who ran against Maduro in 2024 and who, according to extensive evidence, actually won the election.