Fidel Castro on Israel

Fidel Castro's position on Israel and the Jewish people was marked by significant contradictions over his long tenure. Initially, during his early political career, he was associated with factions that supported the creation of a Jewish homeland, and early relations between Cuba and Israel were positive, including agricultural and scientific exchanges. However, as the Cuban Revolution aligned with the Soviet bloc and Arab nations, his international stance became viciously hostile toward Israel, culminating in Cuba severing diplomatic ties in 1973, partly to gain leadership in the Non-Aligned Movement. This hostility included co-sponsoring the 1975 UN resolution equating Zionism with racism.

In his later years, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Castro's position evolved again, exhibiting a pragmatic shift that acknowledged Israel's reality alongside continued criticism of its government's policies. He famously stated in 2010 that Israel has, "without a doubt," the right to exist as a Jewish state and strongly condemned Holocaust denial, a sentiment which earned praise from the Israeli president at the time. Simultaneously, he maintained a lifelong and close relationship with Palestinian leaders, training cadres and advocating for their quest for independence, often framing the conflict as a struggle against imperialism.