Israeli–Venezuelan relations refer to foreign relations between Israel and Venezuela. Both countries have no formal relations since 2009 but since the 2019 presidential crisis, self-declared interim president Juan Guaidó is currently under the process to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries. Canada serves as Israel's protecting power in Venezuela through its embassy in Caracas, while Spain serves as Venezuela's protecting power in Israel through its embassy in Tel Aviv. Venezuela voted in favor of Israeli membership in the United Nations in 1949, and established diplomatic ties. Though relations between the two countries were traditionally strong, they have soured considerably under the presidency of Hugo Chávez, in relating to Chávez's convictions regarding the 2006 Lebanon War, and partly due to Chávez's foreign policy relating to Iran and Israel's political opposition to it. Chávez also positioned himself on the world stage as opposed to American foreign policy — the US and Israel are partners in defense and international relations, specifically relating to the Middle East. In the wake of the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict, Venezuela broke all diplomatic ties with Israel, condemning its actions. On April 27, 2009, Venezuelan foreign minister (and future president) Nicolás Maduro met with Palestinian National Authority foreign affairs minister Riyad al-Maliki in Caracas, where formal diplomatic relations were established. History Venezuela voted in favor of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine on November 29, 1947, and established diplomatic ties with Israel later on. Venezuela's first representative in Israel, Romulo Araujo, arrived in 1959/60 and was based in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. A year later, the mission was located in the Katamon neighborhood at 28 Rachel Imenu, where it stayed until 1980. In 1962 ties were upgraded, so that full ambassadors were exchanged. From 1960 to 1964 Vincente Gerbasi, a poet, served as the Venezuelan representative and ambassador. He was replaced by Pedro Abreu, and in 1969/70 Napoleon Gimenez took over. In 1980, when Venezuela and many other nations chose to move their embassies outside of Jerusalem, Luis La Corte was the ambassador. In 1962, Gerbasi presented an Arab village with a tractor from Venezuela. During the Six-Day War many Venezuelan Jews went to Israel to fight for Israel. When the United Nations passed General Assembly Resolution 3379 on November 10, 1975, "determin[ing] that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination", Venezuela abstained. The resolution was later revoked in 1991. Milos Alcalay served