Cuba–Israel relations

File:Cuban ambassador to Israel1960.jpg 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.{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/2015/8/17/will-israel-cuba-restore-diplomatic-rel-4248424.html |title=Will Israel, Cuba restore diplomatic relations?|work=The Guardian|first=Peter|last=McKenna|date=17 August 2015 |access-date=2017-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729232013/http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/2015/8/17/will-israel-cuba-restore-diplomatic-rel-4248424.html |archive-date=2017-07-29 |url-status=dead }} 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.[https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/1129.html Assembly Votes Palestine Partition; Margin is 33 to 13; Arabs walk out] Despite the vote, Cuba recognized Israel and both nations established diplomatic relations in 1949.{{Cite web |url=http://fuentelatina.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/las-relaciones-de-cuba-e-israel.pdf |title=Las relaciones de Cuba e Israel (in Spanish) |access-date=2017-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729222319/http://fuentelatina.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/las-relaciones-de-cuba-e-israel.pdf |archive-date=2017-07-29 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ascecuba.org/c/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/v20-lopezlevy.pdf |title=Las Relaciones Cuba-Israel: A la Espera de una Nueva Etapa (in Spanish) |access-date=2017-06-17 |archive-date=2020-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129201424/https://www.ascecuba.org/c/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/v20-lopezlevy.pdf |url-status=dead }}

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. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/1973/09/11/archive/cubas-diplomatic-break-with-israel-causes-surprise-regret|title=Cuba's Diplomatic Break with Israel Causes Surprise, Regret|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=September 11, 1973|access-date=September 17, 2021}} 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.

In September 1973, during a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Algeria, Cuba announced that they would break diplomatic relations with Israel. In October 1973, Cuba assisted Egypt and Syria in the Yom Kippur War against Israel by sending troops and equipment to Syria.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1988/08/cuba-havanas-military-machine/305932/|title=Cuba: Havana's Military Machine|work=The Atlantic|first=John Hoyt|last=Williams|date=August 1, 1988|access-date=September 17, 2021}} 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.

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.{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/14/united-states-to-remove-cuba-from-list-of-state-terrorism-sponsors/|title=U.S. to Remove Cuba from List of State Terrorism Sponsors|work=Foreign Policy|first1=David|last1=Francis|first2=Ellas|last2=Groll|date=April 14, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2021}} In 1992, Israeli companies began operating in Cuba led by former Israeli Minister Raffi Eitan.[http://www.cubabusinessreport.com/international-corporations-doing-business-in-cuba/ International Corporations Doing Business in Cuba] 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.755469|title=Fidel Castro's Complicated Relationship With Jews and the State of Israel|work=Haaretz|first=Ofer|last=Aderet|date=November 27, 2016|access-date=September 17, 2021}} Between 1995 and 1999, Castro allowed 400 Cuban Jews to immigrate to Israel with the assistance of the Canadian government known as Operation Cigar.{{cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/2016/11/28/news-opinion/politics/7-moments-that-defined-castros-relationship-with-jews-and-israel|title=7 moments that defined Castro's relationship with Jews and Israel|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|first=Josefin|last=Dolsten|date=November 28, 2016|access-date=September 17, 2021}} In 1996, during the funeral of former French President François Mitterrand, President Castro met and spoke with Israeli Minister Shimon Peres. In 2000, President Castro and Prime Minister Ehud Barak met at the Millennium Summit in New York.

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/america/2010/09/22/cuba/1285188678.html|title=Fidel Castro reconoce el derecho de Israel a la existencia como un Estado judío|work=El Mundo|first=Rui|last=Ferreira|date=September 22, 2010|access-date=September 17, 2021|language=es}} Castro also expressed concern with regards to Iran’s nuclear ambition. After Castro's remarks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Castro for his statements. There has been talk of re-establishment of diplomatic relations between both nations, however, no major steps have been taken.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/.premium-1.632600|title=Will Israel follow the U.S. lead and restore ties with Cuba?|work=Haaretz|first=Margalit|last=Bejarano|date=December 19, 2014|access-date=September 17, 2021}}

Miguel Díaz-Canel, the first non-Castro leader of Cuba since the revolution, condemned Israel's actions in the Gaza war.{{Cite web |title=Cuba condemns 'genocide' committed by 'terrorist state of Israel' |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/cuba-condemns-genocide-committed-by-terrorist-state-of-israel/3093296 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=www.aa.com.tr}}

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• History of the Jews in Cuba

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{{Foreign relations of Cuba}}

{{Foreign relations of Israel}}

{{Jews and Judaism in Cuba}}

Israel

Category:Bilateral relations of Israel

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