The primary theme of our weekly reading is that of the wars that invariably occur periodically. In particular, our generation that has witnessed the extermination of a third of the Jewish people, the horrors of Bosnia, and Central Africa knows the suffering and despair, cruelty and inhumanity that are the result of war. Because ein bayit asher ein bo met, there is no Jewish home that has not suffered firsthand the Holocaust that the Nazis committed. Therefore, one of the essential characteristics of the messianic era, which is synonymous with harmony and coexistence, understanding and love between human beings, is the absence of warlike conflicts. These are the words of the prophet Yeshayahu: vehaya beacharit hayamim …, vechitetu charvotam leitim vachaninotehem lemazmerot, lo yisa goi el goi cherev velo yilmedu od milchama; which means, “and it will happen at the end of the days …, and they will turn their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles, no nation will raise a sword against another nation, nor will they learn war anymore. In our days, which predate this messianic era, we must study the biblical text that contains a series of ordinances whose objective is to mitigate the drama of all warfare.

The initial conquest of the land of Canaan was carried out by fighting and shedding blood. In the Jewish tradition these wars are placed under the heading of Milchemet Mitsva, a concept that can be translated as a war ordered by the Divinity in the first period of our collective history. Of course, the notion of a God-sanctioned or ordained war collides with one of our basic ideas about the Deity. The text of the blessing of the Kohanim, for example, concludes by imploring that God grant us peace. The word Shalom, which means peace, is used for the daily greeting, thus highlighting our constant desire for harmony and tranquility. Authentic faith in God must result in a kind of inner peace. In short, we cannot conceive of the Creator without at the same time think of the notion of peace. In the Kaddish, which has become a prayer for the deceased, we affirm, ose shalom bimeromav, Hu yaase shalom alenu, which means, “He Who makes makes peace in the heights, He will grant us peace (on earth)”.

In search of an answer to the difficulty raised, we can emphasize that the historical moment to which we refer is characterized by human sacrifices and the greatest aberrations in social behavior. Therefore, the effects of the conquest can be considered as a punishment for the conquered peoples. However, it can be noted that there were different options. Possibly, the way forward should have been a didactic one. Rather than exterminating the residents of the promised land of Canaan, there was the option for our ancestors to teach them the truth discovered by the patriarch Avraham. It is clear, for example, that the Aséret hadibrot, which are the Ten Commandments, could have been used to spread a new moral law in those lands. Another possibility could have been the insistence on observance of the sheva Mitsvot debenei Noach, which are the seven basic laws of Noah’s time. In this way, the residents of Canaan could have been incorporated into the great monotheistic family that was being created within humanity. But there was an enormous danger that the Jewish people could also succumb to idolatry.

Scientific investigations of history and archeology lead us to the conclusion that there were extraordinary people in the past who conceived the notion of one God. The famous Pharaoh Ikhnaton, for example, was essentially monotheistic. However, none of these religious discoveries survived. They were fleeting attempts, flashes of light that are consumed instantly. Their short duration is perhaps due to the fact that they appear in the midst of the prevailing polytheism and could not resist either its constant onslaught or the challenge of ease and pleasure characteristic of idolatry. It is curious to observe that polytheism is distinguished by its tolerance. The Greeks who concentrated their multiple gods on Mount Olympus could conceive of additional deities. Therefore, when they conquered new lands, they used to pay homage to the local deity, because they considered that they had helped them in their victory. Monotheism, however, is jealous. The only God does not allow or grant any living space to another god. There is only one God, and no one else.

It is very likely that Judaism would have also succumbed to the idolatry that reigned everywhere. History teaches us that during the period of the first Beit HaMikdash, the Temple of Jerusalem, idolatry and its concomitant priestly caste were sometimes involved in alien rites, which was an existential problem for the spiritual development of our people. Therefore, it was necessary to eradicate, as far as possible, any vestige of the attractive and contagious idolatry that encourages sexual license and blind religious drunkenness.

In addition to the aforementioned war to conquer the Promised Land, our tradition considers two additional types of warfare. In the case of external aggression, you must respond with Milchemet chova, which means a forced war. The Melech, who is the king of Israel, does not require the consent of any deliberative body to face a military aggression of this nature. In contrast, in the case of Milchemet reshut, which refers to an optional war whose purpose is to enlarge the boundaries of the country, the prior approval of the Sanhedrin, the body of seventy-one religious notables, is required. Later on, the armed forces must be informed about the purpose of the war. (In the period of the Vietnam War, we find the fact that the North American nation was unaware of the purpose and scope of the conflict. This was one of the reasons why the government did not obtain the majority support of its people). Our initial text that reads, ki teitsei lamilchama al oivecha, means that when you go to war against your enemies, our Chachamim demand that it be verified that it really is a case about oivecha, which means your enemy.

According to the instructions of our text, the officers had to speak to the people pointing out, mi haish asher bana bayit chadash velo chanacho yelech veyashov leveito …, “what man is there who has built a house and has not opened it, go and return to your house, lest you die in the war and someone else opens his house ”. Having planted a vineyard and having handcuffed a woman and not taking her, were equally sufficient reasons not to have to participate in the war. Included from going to war were hayare veharach levav, “the fearful and the weak-hearted.”

The adversary must first be offered the possibility of peace, according to the Talmud. The acceptance by the enemy of the basic laws of Noah is reason enough not to kill any living being. In such a case, certain taxes may be imposed. When establishing a siege to a city, the surveillance of one side of the perimeter must be neglected, to allow whoever wishes to save himself to escape. Trees that bear edible fruits should not be cut down and the necessary water must be allowed to enter.

In the Talmud we find the following observation: kol zeman sheIsrael mistaklin klapei maala hem mitgabrim, veim lav noflim, which means that while (the people of) Israel have their gaze fixed towards heaven they are victorious; if not, the fall is inevitable. This teaching alludes to the relative merit of the purpose of wars, which must have important goals and social benefits. Of course, there are those who argue that all war is diabolical, even when some of its objectives have a noble intention. Latin American countries, for example, prefer their own dictatorships to the alternative, for example, to a North American armed intervention.

However, the instructions contained in our text that were widely interpreted by our Chachaim to mitigate the disasters of war, underline our aspirations and desires that are based on understanding and harmony between peoples. Charvotam leitim, the conversion of swords into plowshares is the symbol and motto for a greater humanization of our troubled globe.

Dos hechos diferentes sacudieron la región esta semana: el acuerdo entre Israel y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos para establecer relaciones diplomáticas plenas en el futuro inmediato, y la serie de explosiones en el puerto de Beirut que causaron la muerte de más de 170 personas, miles de heridos y un número aún mayor de personas sin hogar. Los eventos no podrían ser más gráficos de dos puntos de vista opuestos con respecto a un acertijo compartido: cómo lidiar con la existencia de una nación no musulmana en un rincón del mundo considerado adecuado solo para los seguidores de Alá.

Cuando llego a la sinagoga varios minutos antes de las oraciones de la mañana, suelo releer una carta de Najmánides, el sabio medieval de Gerona, España. Advierte a sus lectores que no caigan presa de la rabia porque conduce al odio, ciega su mente e impide el pensamiento racional. La cólera te hace perder la libertad y te lleva a convertirte en un esclavo de emociones irracionales.

El pueblo judío, después del establecimiento del Estado independiente de Israel, debe haber enfrentado un dilema. ¿Se vengará del Holocausto y bombardeará Auschwitz y Sachsenhausen, o tal vez el mismo Berlín, la capital de Alemania? No conozco personalmente a nadie que tenga esa opinión, pero me imagino que puede haber pasado por algunas mentes. Sin embargo, nunca se emprendió tal cosa. ¿Qué se ganaría con la destrucción? Lo que se necesitaba era educación para asegurar que el mundo reconociera lo sucedido y asumiera una parte de responsabilidad. Como acto profecía, el general Dwight Eisenhower aseguró de que se tomaran pruebas pictóricas, para que en el futuro no fuera negado el horror que veía con sus propios ojos, como, sin embargo, está sucediendo.

El pueblo judío se aseguró de crear una fuerza armada “Tzahal”, en hebreo, que debería estar lista y ser capaz de defender al nuevo Estado y evitar que se repitiera el asesinato masivo, maliciosa y meticulosamente planeado de una nación como el perpetrado por los Nazis. El difunto Jonathan Netanyahu murió en la expedición de Entebbe enviada a Uganda para salvar a judíos que habían sido señalados solo por ser judíos. Israel se levantó gracias al arduo trabajo de cientos de miles de pioneros que convirtieron la arena y el abandono, en pueblos y ciudades florecientes. El odio no era su brújula, la anticipación y el futuro los movieron, simbolizados por su himno Hatikvah: la esperanza.

El Hezbolá de Hassan Nasrallah no está motivado por fe en el mañana. Es lamentable que, como afirman repetidamente, el odio a Israel es lo que los inspira. Este hecho fue expresado de manera gráfica y trágica por la explosión de diferentes materiales y productos químicos que se suponía que se usarían para destrucción.

Felicitaciones al Príncipe Heredero de Abu Dhabi que eligió un camino diferente. Lo aplaudo por tomar el alto camino del progreso, con miras a un futuro de cooperación con el Estado de Israel que se ha convertido en un líder mundial en las últimas tecnologías. Seguramente ambas naciones se beneficiarán, sobre todo, también lo harán sus ciudadanos individuales que aprenderán a apreciar y respetar, incluso sus diferencias.

Mi admiración por Benjamin Netanyahu que tuvo que elegir entre la política de integrar partes de Judea y Samaria con el Estado de Israel y obtener el favor político de un sector de la población israelí, y por otro lado, optar por el establecimiento de relaciones diplomáticas con los EAU. Su visión de la Historia lo llevó a optar por las relaciones diplomáticas y, simultáneamente, le aseguró un asiento en la exclusiva fila de los constructores del joven estado junto a Ben Gurion y Menachem Begin, Golda Meir y Chaim Weitzman.

* Embajador de Venezuela en Israel

La Torá ordena el establecimiento de un sistema de administración de justicia para todas las ciudades del país. Nuestro texto exige la ubicación de Shoftim, jueces, en el sháar, el portal de la ciudad. Aparentemente este sháar no era un simple portón, sino un lugar específico donde se ubicaba un conjunto de instituciones comunitarias que ejercían funciones diversas. Entre las funciones que se cumple en el sháar se incluye la administración de la justicia. (En el libro bíblico Rut, leemos que Bóaz, el hacendado pariente de la familia del difunto esposo de Rut, se dirige al sháar, o sea a las autoridades religiosas que se encuentran en ese lugar) para reclamar su derecho a esposarla.

El concepto de justicia es un factor esencial de la enseñanza bíblica. Nuestros Jajamim en el Talmud se hacen eco de la importancia fundamental de esta idea, al afirmar que el mundo está anclado sobre tres pilares. La justicia es uno de ellos. Para algunos, el énfasis sobre la justicia supone una característica de severidad o de carencia de sentimiento, de amor, señalando que el judaísmo es intransigente e inflexible. Los que vivimos en las democracias nacientes donde la justicia no constituye aún un poder enteramente independiente de los otros intereses políticos de la sociedad, sabemos lo comprometidos que pueden ser los fallos y las decisiones. ¿Es que puede haber justicia cuando la igualdad ante la Ley no existe?

Dentro de los cargos directivos, numerosas comunidades judías incluyen una comisión de arbitraje que sirve para limar o resolver divergencias entre sus miembros. Isaac Bashevis Singer se refiere a diversos individuos que acudían al Beit Din shtíbel, la habitación de la casa de su padre destinada a ese propósito. Su padre era un Rabino en Varsovia, y solía atender demandas y quejas de litigantes. Durante siglos, en aldeas y ciudades los hogares de los Rabinos servían de cortes de justicia.

El bíblico rey Shelomó que se destacó por su aguda inteligencia, es el prototipo del árbitro y del juez que busca la solución justa en situaciones de conflicto. Recordamos la sagacidad de Shelomó en el caso de un recién nacido al que dos madres reclamaban como suyo.

Según el Yalkut Shimoní, uno de los textos pertenecientes al Midrash que recopila comentarios sobre las Escrituras Sagradas, había seis peldaños frente al trono del rey Shelomó. Cuando Shelomó comenzaba su ascenso al trono, se anunciaba en cada uno de los peldaños una de las ordenanzas de nuestro texto.

Al primer escalón correspondía lo taté mishpat, , no torcerás el juicio. Según el Talmud, las falsedades y las medias verdades alejan y exilian la Presencia Divina. Una de las características del Ser Supremo es la Verdad, tal como lo afirma nuestra tradición al declarar, Jotamó shel Hakadosh Baruj Hu Emet, que significa que el sello de Dios es la Verdad. Hay quienes observan que el sello se aplica de una sola vez. Un sello no requiere de un proceso, tal como la escritura o la palabra que tiene un comienzo y un desarrollo en el tiempo, para llegar a su término. Un sello se coloca con un golpe sobre el papel. Igualmente ocurre con la Verdad. Tiene que ser total e inmediata. No existe verdades a medias, que van revelándose a medida que el tiempo pasa.

Al subir el segundo peldaño, Shelomó escuchaba la admonición, lo takir panim, no harás excepciones entre las personas. Todos tienen que ser iguales ante la Ley y ante los jueces. Nuestro folklore cuenta que en una ocasión una mujer le dijo a su marido que iba a llevar a la sirvienta ante el rabino porque sospechaba que estaba robando, el esposo respondió que la acompañaría. La esposa adujo que no hacía falta porque ella sabía defenderse sola; el esposo le respondió que su propósito más bien era proteger a la sirvienta, que podría sentirse intimidada ante la presencia del Rabino. Se da testimonio de que en la habitación que utilizaba Rabí Shmelke Nickelsburger para sus decisiones en casos de litigios, en la pared estaban colgados un bastón y un bolso. Estos objetos estaban presentes en todo momento, como evidencia palpable de que el incorruptible Rabí estaba dispuesto a abandonar la ciudad en cualquier instante, antes de permitir que los mercaderes del poder intentaran influir en sus fallos.

Lo tikaj shójad, no admitirás sobornos, era la exhortación en el tercer peldaño. Nuestro texto advierte, que ningún juez escapa a las consecuencias de recibir un obsequio de una de las partes, ki hashójad yeaver einei Jajamim, porque el soborno ciega los ojos del sabio. En el Midrash encontramos el dictamen de un juez que recibe shójad, por lo que antes de morir, encegueció. (Con referencia a esta aseveración, se relata una anécdota cómica en la que los habitantes de cierta aldea cuestionaron el Midrash porque el juez de la localidad que tenía reputación de actuar en forma dudosa había ensordecido. Esto contradice nuestro Midrash que afirma que el resultado del comportamiento en cuestión es la ceguera, en base al texto bíblico que señala que el soborno ciega los ojos del sabio. Se resolvió la contradicción señalando que nuestro juez no había recibido shójad; tan sólo se lo habrían prometido). El Talmud sugiere que el vocablo shójad proviene de la raíz jad, que quiere decir afilado, con lo cual se señala que el shójad resulta cortante y lacerante tanto para quien lo ofrece como para quien lo recibe.

El ascenso al cuarto peldaño correspondía a la proclamación de lo titá lejá asherá, que significa, no plantarás (con relación a la idolatría) árbol alguno (junto al altar). Según el tratado Sanhedrín, volumen del Talmud del cual provienen nuestras citas anteriores, la elección de un juez que no está preparado para desempeñar su función equivale a fomentar la idolatría en la comunidad. En la visión de nuestros Jajamim, la idolatría se identifica con la arbitrariedad y el azar. La Torá en cambio, es la voluntad manifiesta de Dios, es inmutable, no depende de caprichos y no permite la ignorancia. Todo fallo tiene que estar basado en reglas claras y transparentes. La presentación de argumentos contundentes, basados en halajá, puede dar lugar a la revisión de cualquier decisión anterior.

Veló takim lejá matsevá, “y no te erigirás estatuas (o monumentos)”, es la exhortación del quinto escalón. Tal vez la moraleja que el juez no debe abstraerse de las condiciones reinantes en la sociedad que lo circunda y ubicarse por encima o fuera de su entorno. Para poder comprender de que trata el litigio, es necesario identificarse y vivir la realidad de su tiempo. En el momento de la adoración del éguel hazahav, el becerro de oro, Dios sugiere a Moshé que desde las alturas del Monte Sinaí no puede apreciar la situación real del pueblo hebreo. Dios le ordena, lej reid, “vete y desciende,” porque únicamente conociendo y viviendo en medio de la situación, podrá, Moshé decidir cual acción tomar.

En el sexto y último peldaño se anunciaba, lo tizbaj laShem Eloheja… kol davar ra, que quiere decir, no sacrificarás al Eterno tu Dios… cualquier cosa mala (defectuosa). Esto constituye un llamado de atención para recordar que en la tradición judía el fin no justifica los medios. El fallo no puede ser utilizado para aliviar sufrimientos y dolencias, ni para corregir otros males de la sociedad. Todo juicio tiene que ser enteramente justo y correcto de acuerdo al asunto presentado por las partes involucradas.

Nuestros capítulos enumeran diferentes leyes adicionales que son necesarias para regular las relaciones entre los miembros de la comunidad. Aunque la compasión, la comprensión y la sensibilidad ante los males que afligen al prójimo son cualidades morales de primer calibre, la justicia y la equidad no tienen parangón en el ordenamiento y en la jerarquía de los imperativos que son esenciales para la convivencia, la armonía y el desarrollo material y espiritual de toda sociedad.

The Torah orders the establishment of a system of administration of justice for all the cities of the country. Our text demands the location of the Shoftim, the judges, in the Shaar, the portal of the city. Apparently this Shaar was not a simple gate, but a specific place where a set of community institutions that performed various functions were located. The functions performed in the Shaar include the administration of justice. (In the biblical book Ruth, we read that Boaz, the wealthy relative of the family of Ruth’s late husband, goes to the Shaar, that is, to the religious authorities that are in that place) to claim his right to betroth her.
The concept of justice is an essential factor in biblical teaching. Our Chachamim in the Talmud echo the fundamental importance of this idea, stating that the world is anchored on three pillars. Justice being one of them. For some, the emphasis on justice assumes a manifestation of severity or lack of feeling of love, implying that Judaism is uncompromising and inflexible. Those of us who live in nascent democracies where justice does not yet constitute a power entirely independent of the other political interests of society, know how compromised judicial decisions can be. Can there be justice when equality before the law does not exist?
An arbitration commission is included in the management positions of many Jewish communities, which serves to resolve differences between their members. Isaac Bashevis Singer refers to various individuals who came to the Beit Din Shtibl, the special room in the house of his father, a Rabbi in Warsaw, which was used to attend the demands and complaints of the litigants. For centuries, in villages and cities, the homes of the Rabbis served as courts of justice.
The biblical King Shlomo, who stands out for his keen intelligence, is the prototype of the referee and judge who seeks a just solution in conflictive situations. We recall the sagacity of Shlomo in the case of a newborn that two mothers claimed as theirs.
According to the Yalkut Shimoni, one of the Midrash type texts that compiles commentaries on the sacred scriptures, there were six steps in front of the throne of King Shlomo. When Shlomo began his ascent to the throne, one of the ordinances of our text was announced on each of the steps.
On the first step was inscribed Mishpat, which means, you will not distort your judgment. According to the Talmud, falsehoods and half-truths drive away and exile the Divine Presence from among us. One of the basic characteristics of the Supreme Being is truth. Jewish tradition affirms that, Chotamo shel Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Emet, the Seal of God is Truth. We take note of the fact that a seal is applied only once. A stamp does not require a process, such as writing of a word that has a beginning and a development in time, in order to reach the complete word or sentence. A stamp is put on paper with one energic movement. The same happens with Truth. It has to be total and immediate. There are no half-truths, which are revealed as time passes.
When climbing the second step, Shlomo listened to the admonition, lo takir panim, you will not make exceptions among people. Everyone has to be equal before the Law and before the judges. Our folklore tells that on one occasion a woman told her husband that she was going to take the servant to the Rabbi because she suspected she was stealing, the husband replied that he would accompany her. The wife argued that it was not necessary because she knew how to defend herself. The husband replied that his purpose was rather to protect the servant, who might feel intimidated in the presence of the Rabbi. It is reported that in the room used by Rabbi Shmelke Nickelsburger for his decisions in litigation cases, a cane and a bag were hung on the wall. These objects were present at all times, as palpable evidence that the incorruptible Rabbi was willing to leave the city at any moment, rather than allow the merchants of power to influence his decisions.
Lo tikaj shochad, you will not take bribes, was the exhortation on the third step. Our text warns that no judge escapes the consequences of accepting a gift from one of the parties, ki hashochad yeaver einei Chachamim, because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise. (In the Midrash we find the opinion of a judge who receives shochad, was turned blind before he died. (With reference to this assertion, shochad a comic anecdote is related about the inhabitants of a certain village who questioned the Midrash because the local judge who had a reputation for acting dubiously had become deaf. The contradiction was resolved by pointing out that our judge had not received shochad; they had only promised it). The Talmud suggests that the word shochad comes from the root chad, which means sharp, which implies that the shochad cuts and lacerates both the one who offers it and the one who receives it.
The ascent to the fourth step corresponded to the proclamation of the tita lecha ashera, which means, do not plant (in relation to idolatry) any tree (next to the altar). According to the treatise Sanhedrin, which is the volume of the Talmud from which our previous quotations come, the election of a judge who is unprepared for his role is tantamount to fostering idolatry in the community. In the vision of our Chachamim, idolatry is identified with arbitrariness and chance. The Torah, on the other hand, is the manifest will of God, it is immutable, it does not depend on whims and does not allow ignorance. Every ruling must be based on clear and transparent rules. Presenting strong arguments, based on Halacha, may lead to the revision of a previous decision.
Velo takim lecha matsevah, “and you shall not erect statues (or monuments)” is the exhortation of the fifth step. Perhaps it teaches that a judge must insert himself into the prevailing conditions of the society that surrounds him and place himself in that environment. In order to understand what the litigation is about, it is necessary to identify with and live the reality of the times. At the time of the worship of the Egel hazahav, the Golden Calf, God suggests to Moshe that from the heights of Mount Sinai he cannot appreciate the real situation of the Hebrew people. God commands him, lech rehd, “go and descend,” because only by knowing and living in the midst of the situation, then, will Moshe be able to decide what action to take.
In the sixth and last step it was announced, the tizbach laShem Elohecha … kol davar rah, which means, you will not sacrifice to the Eternal your God … anything bad (defective). This is a wake-up call to remember that in Jewish tradition the end does not justify the means. The ruling cannot be used to alleviate suffering and ailments, or to correct other ills of society. All judgments must be fair and correct for the parties involved.
Our chapters list different additional laws that are necessary to regulate relationships between members of a community. Although compassion, understanding and sensitivity to the evils that afflict others are moral qualities of the highest caliber, justice and equity are unparalleled and imperative, essential for coexistence, harmony and the material and spiritual development of every society.

For most of us, it was a most welcome surprise, a historic decisive step, namely the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

It buries the false notion that the lack of a final solution to the Palestinian Israeli conflict is the cause for instability in the Middle East. For some, it was even the greatest stumbling block in achieving universal peace.

It is now very clear that the confrontation between Shiite Iran and the Suni countries, usually represented by Saudi Arabia, is the time-bomb that can cause an earthquake in the region.

For Benjamin Netanyahu, it constitutes his greatest political accomplishment, the salient feature of his political legacy. It will gain the applause of most Israelis and the wrath of those in the right of the political spectrum because he had to promise not to integrate formally into the State of Israel parts of Judea and Samaria. It may put in danger his future electoral fortunes but will assure him a formidable place in the annals of the young State.

Elections are won by politicians, History recognizes statesmen.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the role of the United States, of president Trump and his team, in propelling this understanding between the two countries and points to the probability of additional such relations between Israel and other nations of the region. It vindicates and validates the efforts of Jared Kushner who is the main architect of the government’s peace proposal for the region. To all those who questioned his selection for such a delicate and complex task, this is a solid accomplishment, unthinkable a couple of years ago.

This extraordinary step taken by UAE and Israel is a demonstration of political maturity that realistically puts aside old antagonisms and religious diversity that cannot be dismissed, and that should instead be integrated in a relationship of mutual respect of the differences.

This new relationship between Israel and the UAE has to serve as a building block for further alliances that will help to fulfill the dream of the late Shimon Peres who dreamt with the idea that Israel can serve as a locomotive por the technological and scientific progress of the entire area.

With the rapid development of new technologies and the distaste for fossil fuels, the countries of the region must insert themselves fully into acquiring knowledge and expertise in the new fields of cyber and AI, driverless automobiles, and other fields yet to be defined and identified. In addition, of course, to providing a cleaner environment for their population, proper and up to date health care and other vital services.

Israel can serve as a role model and a willing teacher-helper in all the above and initiate a new era of progress and peace for a region that is the cradle of monotheism, an area where some of the greatest cultural and social advances took place in the past.

I salute the leader of Israel and the leadership of the UAE, and above all their respective peoples for this historic step that will bring only progress and wellbeing to all.

*Ambassador of Venezuela to Israel