Israel and Venezuela have agreed to renew consular relations, ending 17 years without formal diplomatic contact and marking another sign of Caracas’ sudden turn toward Jerusalem.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia reached the agreement after recent talks aimed at creating a mechanism to provide consular services to citizens of both countries.
The Governments of the State of Israel and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela announce that, following the visit of the Israeli humanitarian delegation to Venezuela in the wake of the double earthquake that occurred on June 24, and further to talks held between senior officials…
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) August 11, 2026
The announcement does not yet amount to full diplomatic restoration, but it is the first formal step after relations were severed in 2009 by then-President Hugo Chávez during an IDF operation against Hamas in Gaza.
For years, Venezuela under Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro aligned itself with Iran, denounced Israel, and presided over a climate in which the country’s Jewish community faced pressure and intimidation. Many Venezuelan Jews left the country during that period.
That posture has changed since Delcy Rodríguez took power after the US removal of Maduro in January.
The opening came through disaster relief. After two major earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, Israel sent humanitarian and technical teams to assist with emergency response, search-and-rescue work, and reconstruction planning. Rodríguez publicly thanked the Israeli delegation and credited Venezuela’s Jewish community, including Chief Rabbi Isaac Cohen, with helping establish the contact.
From words to action.
Israel’s aid delegation is now on the ground in Venezuela, working together with local authorities to help communities affected by the earthquake. 🇮🇱🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/2glp7uPSA3
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 5, 2026
Cohen later delivered a letter to Plasencia urging the government to restore relations with Israel. The foreign minister said the meeting focused on the needs of Venezuela’s Jewish community and praised its historic contribution to the country.
Both governments now say the Jewish community serves as an important bridge of friendship between the nations. They also agreed to continue technical cooperation connected to earthquake recovery.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already framed the aid mission as more than humanitarian work, saying the Israeli teams were helping “rebuild relations” by showing Venezuela the real face of the Jewish state.
The move is part of a wider diplomatic shift in Latin America, where Israel is seeking to rebuild partnerships strained or broken by anti-Israel governments.
Whether Caracas moves from consular coordination to full diplomatic relations remains to be seen. But after nearly two decades of hostility, the direction has clearly changed.
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