Venezuela and Israel have agreed to restore consular relations. This comes after Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, sought a major foreign policy realignment following the US military's kidnapping of former leader Nicolas Maduro in January. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia Gonzalez stated that the two sides decided to restore consular relations and establish a coordination mechanism to provide consular services to citizens of both countries, after Israel sent a team to assist Venezuela in responding to a double earthquake. Venezuela had severed diplomatic ties with Israel 17 years ago due to an Israeli attack on Gaza.