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Venezuela’s acting leader says ‘Zionist undertones’ marked U.S. capture of Maduro
(JTA) — Venezuela’s acting leader, in an address to the nation on Sunday, said there were “Zionist undertones” to the U.S. military’s capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Delcy Rodriguez, a vice president under Maduro who is now the interim leader, has demanded the “immediate release” of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, since they were captured by U.S. forces on Saturday. Maduro and Flores were flown to New York City, where they are expected to appear in federal court on drug-trafficking and other charges on Monday.
“Governments around the world are simply shocked that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the victim and target of an attack of this nature, which undoubtedly has Zionist undertones,” Rodriguez said in the televised address. “It is truly shameful.”
President Donald Trump doubled down on his assertion that the United States was “in charge” of Venezuela on Sunday night, telling reporters that he demanded “total access” from Rodriguez.
“We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country,” Trump said.
Rodriguez’s reference to “Zionist” influence echoed past statements by Maduro. The president said that “Zionists” were facilitating Venezuela’s takeover as the United States ramped up its military campaign, including strikes on boats and a naval buildup in the Caribbean Sea, over recent months.
“There are those who want to hand this country over to the devils — you know who, right? The far-right Zionists want to hand this country over to the devils,” Maduro said during a speech in November.
Maduro also blamed “international Zionism” for protests that swept across Venezuela in 2024, after he was accused of stealing the presidential election amid widespread claims of fraud.
Venezuela and Israel have not had formal relations since 2009, when then-President Hugo Chávez cut ties, citing Israel’s conduct during its offensive in Gaza that year. Maduro, like Chavez, is deeply critical of Israel and supportive of Palestinians.
Israeli officials have not publicly responded to Rodriguez’s claim about “Zionist undertones,” but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Maduro’s ouster without naming him on Saturday.
“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers,” Netanyahu said on X.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also praised the U.S. action and said that “Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny.”
Venezuela’s official Jewish community has not yet commented on the operation to remove Maduro. Some 3,000 to 5,000 Jews live in the country, down from a height of about 25,000 in the 1990s. Maduro’s 12-year reign was marked by a protracted economic collapse, exacerbated by U.S. oil sanctions, that drove an exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America condemned Trump’s actions and attempts to “create regime change” in a statement on Saturday.
“For the overwhelming majority of Jewish American voters, maintaining our democracy is the number one policy priority,” said the group. “The American people do not want — nor did they vote for — unauthorized war with Venezuela, especially not one that circumvents the U.S. Constitution.”
The post Venezuela’s acting leader says ‘Zionist undertones’ marked U.S. capture of Maduro appeared first on The Forward.
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Exclusive: Israeli Officials Harshly Critical of Steve Witkoff’s Influence on US Policy on Gaza, Iran, i24NEWS Told
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Amid growing disagreements with the Trump administration over the composition of the Board of Peace for Gaza and the question of a strike on Iran, officials in Israel point to a key figure behind decisions seen as running counter to Israeli interests: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The officials mention sustained dissatisfaction with Witkoff. Sources close to the PM Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Saturday evening: “For several months now, the feeling has been that envoy Steve Witkoff has strong ties, for his own reasons, across the Middle East, and that at times the Israeli interest does not truly prevail in his decision-making.”
This criticism relates both to the proposed inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in Gaza’s governing bodies and to the Iranian threat. A senior Israeli official put it bluntly: “If it turns out that he is among those blocking a strike on Iran, that is far more than a coincidence.”
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EU Warns of Downward Spiral After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland
European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” over US President Donald Trump‘s vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X.
“Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss their response to the tariff threat.
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Israel Says US Gaza Executive Board Composition Against Its Policy
FILE PHOTO: Displaced Palestinians shelter at a tent camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, January 14, 2026. REUTERS/Haseeb Alwazeer/File Photo
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday that this week’s Trump administration announcement on the composition of a Gaza executive board was not coordinated with Israel and ran counter to government policy.
It said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The statement did not specify what part of the board’s composition contradicted Israeli policy. An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment.
The board, unveiled by the White House on Friday, includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Israel has repeatedly opposed any Turkish role in Gaza.
Other members of the executive board include Sigrid Kaag, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process; an Israeli‑Cypriot billionaire; and a minister from the United Arab Emirates, which established relations with Israel in 2020.
Washington this week also announced the start of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s plan, announced in September, to end the war in Gaza. This includes creating a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in the enclave.
The first members of the so-called Board of Peace – to be chaired by Trump and tasked with supervising Gaza’s temporary governance – were also named. Members include Rubio, billionaire developer Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.