Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday accused Israel of being the "murder arm" of the United States and said the solution to the Gaza crisis was in the hands of Barack Obama when he becomes US president in 10 days. On announcing a Venezuelan humanitarian aid shipment for Gaza's embattled Palestinians, Chavez said he was not surprised Israel ignored the UN's call Thursday for a cease-fire in Gaza because, he said, "behind Israel lurks the United States.|"It doesn't surprise me in the least ... The Israeli government doesn't comply because it is the United States. Unfortunately, Israel has become the murder arm of the US," he added.
Chavez, Latin America's most prominent leftist leader and staunch foe of outgoing US President George W. Bush, said the solution to the Gaza conflict was squarely in the hands of Bush's successor Obama, who is to be inaugurated on January 20.
"Let's wait and see what Obama will do when he takes power as president ... and head of the empire," Chavez said. "Because if anybody can stop that massacre it's the US president, because it was a US president who ordered it."
He also slammed the international community for not doing enough to stop the Israeli onslaught in Gaza, which since December 27 has killed more than 850 people, according to Gaza emergency services.