Here’s a piece from Embassy magazine about Canada’s efforts to help Israel with diplomatic services in Venezuela:
Canada to Help Israel with Visas in Venezuela
by Laura Payton
Embassy, August 5, 2009
The Canadian Embassy in Caracas is preparing to help provide consular and diplomatic services on behalf of the Israeli government after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez severed relations with Israel last January.
Though apparently still unannounced, the services will likely include offering office space to a locally-engaged staffer who will receive visas for visitors to Israel and likely send the visas to an Israeli embassy outside the country for processing, Embassy has learned.
The staff person will be someone who has previously worked at the Israeli Embassy in Venezuela, a source said.
Mr. Chavez broke off relations with Israel after siding with Palestinians during this year’s fighting in Gaza, in which more than 1,100 people were killed over three weeks of Israeli attacks on Hamas. Canada, which has seen its relationship with Israel warm significantly under the current Conservative government, has been representing the Israeli government since then.
Bolivia also broke off relations with Israel. Bolivian President Evo Morales called for Israeli leaders to be declared war criminals, while Mr. Chavez called for Israeli President Shimon Peres and then-prime minister Ehud Olmert to be tried for crimes against humanity.
A spokesman for Foreign Affairs couldn’t confirm what duties the Canadian embassy would take on for Israel, nor could he say when the two governments had discussed or agreed to the arrangement.
“Following the breaking of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Israel, Canada has agreed to represent Israel’s interests in Venezuela,” said Andre Lemay.
“We are currently defining what services will be offered through the Canadian embassy in Caracas.”
That’s the same statement that was prepared earlier this year, prior to a report out of Caracas from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that said the Canadian government had announced the visa arrangement on July 29.
Neither Mr. Lemay nor Virginie Levesque, a spokeswoman at the embassy in Caracas, had heard of the reported visa announcement. However, Minister of State for the Americas Peter Kent confirmed in an email to the Dominion newspaper in February that “Canada has agreed to represent Israel’s interests in Venezuela.”
Already Helping in Cuba
It’s not unusual for Canadian embassies to assist other countries, or to request assistance, when two countries have difficulty, says Gar Pardy, who used to serve as the Department of Foreign Affairs’ director-general of consular services. Mexico looked after Canada’s relations in Belgrade, Serbia, earlier this decade and Canada already represents Israel’s interests in Cuba.
Eleanor Johnston, Mr. Kent’s senior special assistant, told the Dominion in March that Canada has been providing Israeli citizens in Cuba with consular services since 1973, and that the service is provided on a cost-recovery basis.
“It’s a bit of a courtesy when one does this,” Mr. Pardy said. “Normally you have to be acceptable to the host country, like in Venezuela, the Venezuelans have to say that yes, we can represent Israeli interests in Venezuela.
“I think with Israel there’s really not a problem given that we do it in Cuba,” Mr. Pardy added.
While it’s not unusual—the Canadian embassy in Caracas, according to one source, has previously rented a floor of its office to the Australians for a year—this type of co-operation isn’t as common as it was before the Cold War ended.
“Certainly [it happens] less frequently than 15 or 20 years ago,” said Mr. Pardy. “It’s increasingly rare.”
Under such circumstances, the services to be provided could include trade or consular issues, and will be determined by the countries involved in the agreement. When it comes to staffing, Canada can ask Israel to provide a certain number of staff to fulfill the tasks Israel wants provided.
“Canada would have to agree to what things it will do on behalf of Israel and then Canada would tell Israel what is needed, we need one, two or three staff members. You don’t want to in effect draw down on your own work in order to service the Israelis,” said Mr. Pardy.
“Normally the other country has what is known as an ‘interest section’ and it could be one staffer or it could be more, or it could be a separate building for that matter…. Basically it is a reflection of the fact that there is no diplomatic relations between the two countries,” he said.
Jewish Applause
Repeated calls to the Israeli embassy were not returned.
Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada, says Canada is performing a humanitarian act in helping a “sister democracy.”
“I think it’s an appropriate gesture of a democratic country wanting to assist another democracy,” he said.
“It is sad that there is no Israeli embassy anymore in Venezuela, that Venezuela has decided to align itself with such a pariah state as Iran and in itself is now becoming the pariah state of the Organization of American States.”
While Canada and Israel have seen relations warm significantly over the past three years, with the Conservative government emerging as a staunch supporter of the country, relations with Venezuela are another matter.
Canada has expressed concern about the Bolivarian republic, including its influence in the region and attempts to spread populism and nationalism.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, meanwhile, just finished a 10-day South American trip. During the trip he told a Colombian newspaper that resumption of diplomatic relations with Venezuela depended partly on an apology from Mr. Chavez. Mr. Lieberman accused Mr. Chavez of anti-semitism and said there was no reason to talk to him while Mr. Chavez maintains relations with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.
/cijainfo
@CIJAinfo