VEO Israel, a new non-profit advocacy initiative, has been launched to address a significant gap in global advocacy and outreach for Israel. Founded by Rodrigo Gonzalez, a Chilean-born Israeli content expert, VEO Israel aims to connect with the over 595 million Spanish speakers worldwide, according to a Thursday company press release.
Spanish speakers make up approximately 7.5% of the global population but have been largely overlooked by Israel's advocacy efforts, which primarily target English speakers. Following the events of October 7, Gonzalez saw an urgent need for change.
"After the terrible massacre of 7/10, I realized there is a vacuum. There are so many Spanish speakers in the world in such important and significant countries, but most of the information efforts of the State of Israel are in English. I decided to establish VEO Israel to respond to this need," said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, a former soldier in the Golani Brigade, has already made notable progress. He was invited by the Spanish opposition to visit Madrid and has hosted Santiago Abascal, leader of the Spanish VOX party, in Israel. His outreach includes influential figures like Chilean politician Antonio Kast and Argentine President Javier Milei, and he maintains close ties with Jewish community leaders in South America and Spain.
Israel advocacy in the Spanish-speaking world
"In days when Spain recognizes a Palestinian state, Brazil recalls its ambassador from Israel, Colombia decides to sever relations with us, and in Mexico, there are violent demonstrations outside the Israeli embassy, advocacy in Spanish has a critical role," Gonzalez emphasized.
"Our outreach project is non-profit, and until now, we have financed it mainly from our own pockets and with the help of private donors. Every donation will help us continue this just war."
To donate to VEO Israel's initiative, click here.