Joe Gandelman links to this story in the Miami Herald which states that “Venezuelan Jews, long uneasy with the Chávez government’s alliances with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that espouse anti-Israel views, are concerned that the government is sponsoring anti-Semitism in this hemisphere,” according to a “prominent journalist.”

Sammy Eppel told the MH: “The situation we have now in Venezuela is that for the first time in modern history we have government-sponsored anti-Semitism in a Western country. That is why this is very dangerous, not just for the Jewish community in Venezuela but for the Jewish community as a whole.”

Anti-Semitism is one of the most difficult hateful ideologies to root out. It’s seemingly impossible to rid the world completely from it. It will always exist, the only thing we can hope for is that we can limit the damage it does.

This means that whenever a government encourages or condones anti-Semitism we all have to speak out. Chavez is a friend of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and if there’s one thing the two seem to agree upon it’s that Jews are evil.

Here’s an example of such anti-Semitism in Venezuela:

Venezuelan government intelligence services twice have raided the country’s most important Jewish center in a vague, ultimately unsuccessful search for weapons. Publications of the government’s cultural ministry run articles entitled ”the Jewish Question,” along with a Jewish star superimposed over a swastika.

This is a very serious issue and it deserves much more prominent display in western media. Especially considering the fact that, as Joe points out, the one example above is far from the only one you could give to back up your case that Chavez is encouraging anti-Semitism. See, for instance, here, here and here.

From the link to the ADL:

Specific trends documented in this report include:

* Promoting Anti-Semitism: Chavez and his government have resorted to implicit and explicit anti-Semitic displays by rehashing the ancient canard of Jews as power-hungry and conspiratorial, blaming Israel and the Jews for the world’s problems, and adopting anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jewish financial influence and control.

* Allying with Extremists and Radical Islamists: Chavez has strengthened and formed new alliances with extreme leaders in the Middle East, including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Chavez also has fostered relationships with convicted guerrilla terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez (a.k.a. Carlos The Jackal) and Holocaust denier Norberto Ceresole of Argentina.

* Support for Hezbollah: The Venezuelan government has openly expressed support for the terrorist organization Hezbollah and solidarity with Iran, whose leaders question Israel’s right to exist, deny the Holocaust, and continue to defy calls by the international community to halt nuclear production. During the 2006 conflict in Lebanon, the Venezuelan National Assembly and various Venezuelan states issued a number of one-sided declarations against Israel. Chavez himself was very aggressive in condemning Israel’s actions against Hezbollah, recalling his charge d’affaires from Israel and threatening to sever diplomatic relations.

* Israel Bashing: The government’s rhetoric has become increasingly anti-Zionist, comparing Israel and Zionism to Nazi Germany. These views are frequently expressed in various Venezuelan government-sponsored media outlets, in radio and TV broadcasts, newspaper articles and political cartoons. Israel is the target of Venezuelan government officials and faculty of public universities who have received an implicit “green light” from Chavez to promote classical anti-Zionist and increasingly anti-Semitic views. Following Chavez’s provocative September 2006 speech to the U.N., reports in the government-sponsored media suggested that the CIA and Mossad were plotting his assassination.

* Intimidation and Vandalism: Government sponsored anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism may have an impact on the well-being of the Jewish community in Venezuela. The frequency of intimidation, vandalism and physical attacks against Jewish institutions in Venezuela is on the rise. Anti-Semitic graffiti and leaflets have appeared near synagogues and densely populated Jewish neighborhoods with statements including “Jews Assassins,” “Jews Dogs,” “Go Away Zionists,” “Jewish Zionist Assassins Leave,” and Stars of David equated with swastikas.

And there’s more, much more.