According to Amit Segal (N12), Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the Jewish community in Venezuela played a decisive role in coordinating and bringing the Israeli rescue delegation. She specifically thanked Rabbi Cohen for his efforts. Rodríguez also noted that the team includes experts who can determine whether people are alive or dead under the rubble before infrastructure reconstruction begins.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has credited the Venezuelan Jewish community and Rabbi Cohen with playing a "decisive" role in coordinating the arrival of the Israeli rescue delegation, according to Amit Segal (N12). The remarks, made Friday evening, add new detail to the official praise that has been building throughout the day: at 17:55 Jerusalem, Rodríguez had already called the team "highly skilled professionals" in statements reported by multiple Israeli news outlets. The 18:46 Jerusalem update provides the first explicit acknowledgment of the community's facilitation role, and notes the team includes experts who can determine whether people are alive or dead under the rubble before reconstruction begins.
As The Zioneer reported on Friday (17:55 Jerusalem), the acting president's initial praise marked the first positive official statement by a Venezuelan head of state toward Israel in 27 years. Earlier in the thread, at that same 17:55 mark, she had also publicly thanked the team and credited the Jewish community—though those earlier reports did not specify Rabbi Cohen by name. The sequence shows the administration gradually offering more granular acknowledgment of the Jewish community's role, moving from general praise to a named individual.
The rescue delegation was deployed after last week's earthquake, despite no diplomatic ties between Israel and Venezuela since 2009. The Zioneer reported on the deployment on June 29 (14:25 Jerusalem), noting the 16-person team includes personnel from Magen, Ready for Rescue, and SmartAID operating in the Valencia and La Guaira areas. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced the mission on June 30 (08:57 Jerusalem), and the team reported "extensive, extraordinary destruction" on the same day (20:12 Jerusalem).
The acting president's statement does not address any change in diplomatic relations. It remains unclear whether this official contact will lead to any broader policy shift, or remains limited to appreciation for the humanitarian mission itself.
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