Venezuela, Bolivia cut Israel ties
Venezuela and Bolivia have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel to protest its military offensive in Gaza.
The decisions by the leftist governments of Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales came about a week after Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador in Caracas, Shlomo Cohen, and seven embassy staff members to protest the Jewish state's actions in Gaza.
Venezuela "has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the state of Israel given the inhumane persecution of the Palestinian people," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Israeli embassy officials and representatives of Venezuela's Jewish community could not immediately be reached for comment.
After Venezuela expelled the ambassador last week, Jewish community leader Abraham Levy said the government was "taking the side of a terrorist group" by backing Gaza's Hamas leaders while ignoring Israel's perspective.
Mr Morales said that he was severing relations with Israel because of the Gaza offensive, and that he would ask the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, to bring genocide charges against top Israeli officials.
Mr Morales told Bolivia's diplomatic corps the Israeli attacks "seriously threatened world peace".