Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez broke off diplomatic relations with Israel this week in a bid to grandstand with various Arab states, saying he was doing it to protest the war in Lebanon.

Now, Chavez could care less about dead bodies, given the far-higher murder rate that has overtaken Venezuela. Deaths don’t bother him. This move instead is part of a geopolitical game he’s playing.

He’s doing it because he’s seeking Arab support for a seat on the UN Security Council, and despite having all the extremist credentials, he’s apparently having a terrible time getting it.

In a way, it’s not surprising. Arabs took one look at him at the OPEC meeting a couple months ago and realized they were mistaken in attendence at a clown show.

Arabs know Chavez’s type, because they remember the Nasser days of Egypt – the mirrored sunglasses, the pumped fist, the military regalia, the gape mouths shouting empty slogans – and the reality is, they aren’t impressed.

They see in Chavez a real opportunist who’d be happy to get them in a scrap with Israel or the U.S., and once that happens, a Chavez who’s more than willing to fight to the last Arab. Most aren’t interested in being used like that.

Now, Chavez is trying to appeal to their basest popular instincts by cutting relations with Israel, and calling on the Arabs to join in his anti-Israel crusade. Daniel at Venezuela News & Views has a very fine, eye-opening post about the rise of anti-Semitism in Venezuela, something that has not been seen at any previous time in Venezuela’s history.

Miguel Octavio at The Devil’s Excrement has a photo montage related to Chavez’s cutoff of relations to Israel, one that surely outdoes any of his others on just who Venezuela’s dictator is into kissing these days.

Don’t miss it here.

I dare you not to say ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!