In response to dramatic military strikes by the United States, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has escalated its travel advisory, urging all Israeli citizens, including dual nationals, to avoid Venezuela.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued an urgent update on Saturday, advising against all travel to Venezuela following a major military intervention by the United States that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The advisory now explicitly includes Israeli citizens who also hold Venezuelan citizenship, marking a significant tightening of previous warnings.
Background of Strained Relations
Diplomatic relations between Israel and Venezuela have been severed for over a decade. Caracas broke ties with Jerusalem in 2009 over Israel’s criticism of its military campaign in Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead. Since then, relations have remained frozen. Israel had maintained a general warning for its non-Venezuelan citizens to avoid travel to the country since January 2025, following Maduro’s swearing-in for a third term, which the Israeli ministry cited as stemming from “fraudulent election results.”
Escalated Advisory in Wake of Crisis
The ministry’s latest statement directly cites “the events in the country” as the reason for broadening its warning to encompass all Israelis. It also highlighted security concerns, noting that “Venezuela maintains ties with Iran, as well as with the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
The Jewish community in Venezuela has dwindled significantly over the past two decades, from over 20,000 in 2000 to approximately 7,000 today. Most Venezuelan Jews now reside in Israel, which is home to around 10,000 members of the community, a population that has grown since an economic crisis began destabilizing the South American nation in the early 2000s.
The Trigger: US Military Strikes and Capture of Maduro
The precipitating event for the updated travel warning was a series of unilateral US military strikes. US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured Maduro after conducting bombings in the capital, Caracas, and other cities. The operation marked a dramatic escalation in a prolonged standoff between the US and the Venezuelan government.
According to reports, Caracas was rocked by explosions and the sound of attack helicopters beginning around 2 a.m. local time. The strikes, which targeted sites including a major military base and an airbase, continued for nearly an hour.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform approximately two hours after the attacks commenced.
US Officials Hail a “New Dawn”
US officials framed the action as a decisive move against tyranny. Attorney General Pamela Bondi declared on social media that Maduro and his wife would face “the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” on drug and terrorism charges. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau hailed “a new dawn for Venezuela,” adding, “A tyrant is gone.”
In response, the Venezuelan government condemned the US for an “extremely serious military aggression” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The situation remains fluid, with the Israeli advisory reflecting the high uncertainty and potential for instability following the unprecedented military action.
