Cuba–Israel relations

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Cuba-Israel relations
Map indicating locations of Cuba and Israel

Cuba
Israel

Cuba–Israel refers to the current and historical relations between the Republic of Cuba and the State of Israel. Both nations have not had official diplomatic relations since 1973. Israel maintains an Interest Section in the Canadian embassy in Havana.[1] Cuba is currently the only country in the Americas that does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state; a few other countries in the Western Hemisphere such as Venezuela have suspended ties with Israel but nevertheless continue to accord it diplomatic recognition.

History[edit]

Early relations[edit]

Cuban Ambassador Ricardo Wolf with Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and Foreign Minister Golda Meir in Jerusalem, 1960

Since the establishment of Israel, relations between Cuba and Israel have been turbulent. In 1919, Cuba supported the idea of independence of the Jewish people and condemned the extermination of Jews by the Third Reich in 1942.[2] On 29 November 1947, Cuba was the only country in the Americas to vote against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine which led to the founding of Israel.[3] Despite the vote, Cuba recognized Israel and both nations established diplomatic relations in 1949.[4] In 1952, Israel opened an honorary consulate in Havana and upgraded the consulate to a diplomatic legation in 1954. Cuba opened a diplomatic office in Israel in 1957.[5]

In January 1959, Fidel Castro came into power and became Prime Minister of Cuba. In 1961, Prime Minister Castro appointed Ricardo Wolf as ambassador to Israel.[5] During the 1960s, Prime Minister Castro began to develop close alliances with Arab nations. After the Six-Day War in June 1967, Cuba and Romania were the only socialist countries to not break diplomatic ties with Israel.[6] Between 1967 and 1970, Cuba sent military assistance to Egypt during the War of Attrition to help the nation take the Sinai Peninsula which was occupied by Israeli troops after the Six-Day War.[5]

In September 1973, during a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Algeria, Cuba announced that they would break diplomatic relations with Israel.[6] In October 1973, Cuba assisted Egypt and Syria in the Yom Kippur War against Israel by sending troops and equipment to Syria.[7] After the war, relations between Cuba and Israel were non-existent. Israel and the United States were the only two nations since 1992 to annually vote in favor (except 2016) of the embargo against Cuba at the UN General Assembly against overwhelming global opposition.[5]

Post 1991[edit]

In December 1991, the Dissolution of the Soviet Union occurred which severely affected the Cuban state economically. Cuba's foreign policy changed dramatically with the nation no longer sending military aid and troops to other nations.[8] In 1992, Israeli companies began operating in Cuba led by former Israeli Minister Raffi Eitan.[9][1] Israeli tourists also started to visit the island nation.

In 1994, during the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa, President Castro met with Israeli President Ezer Weizman.[10] Between 1995 and 1999, Castro allowed 400 Cuban Jews to immigrate to Israel with the assistance of the Canadian government known as Operation Cigar.[11] In 1996, during the funeral of former French President François Mitterrand, President Castro met and spoke with Israeli Minister Shimon Peres.[5] In 2000, President Castro and Prime Minister Ehud Barak met at the Millennium Summit in New York.[5]

In September 2010, while speaking with American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, Fidel Castro announced that he believed that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state and denounced Holocaust deniers.[12] Castro also expressed concern with regards to Iran’s nuclear ambition. After Castro's remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Castro for his statements.[5] There has been talk of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between both nations, however, no major steps have been taken.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Melman, Yossi (7 January 2015). "¿Restablecerá Israel lazos con Cuba?". Progreso Semanal (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  2. ^ McKenna, Peter (17 August 2015). "Will Israel, Cuba restore diplomatic relations?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  3. ^ Assembly Votes Palestine Partition; Margin is 33 to 13; Arabs walk out
  4. ^ "Las relaciones de Cuba e Israel (in Spanish)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Las Relaciones Cuba-Israel: A la Espera de una Nueva Etapa (in Spanish)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
  6. ^ a b "Cuba's Diplomatic Break with Israel Causes Surprise, Regret". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. September 11, 1973. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Williams, John Hoyt (August 1, 1988). "Cuba: Havana's Military Machine". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  8. ^ Francis, David; Groll, Ellas (April 14, 2015). "U.S. to Remove Cuba from List of State Terrorism Sponsors". Foreign Policy. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  9. ^ International Corporations Doing Business in Cuba
  10. ^ Aderet, Ofer (November 27, 2016). "Fidel Castro's Complicated Relationship With Jews and the State of Israel". Haaretz. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Dolsten, Josefin (November 28, 2016). "7 moments that defined Castro's relationship with Jews and Israel". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  12. ^ Ferreira, Rui (September 22, 2010). "Fidel Castro reconoce el derecho de Israel a la existencia como un Estado judío". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  13. ^ Bejarano, Margalit (December 19, 2014). "Will Israel follow the U.S. lead and restore ties with Cuba?". Haaretz. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
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