Jerusalem, 13 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Tuesday with Yaakov Harari, who was released Monday night from prison in Venezuela and landed in Israel a short time ago. Harari is an Israeli-Argentine businessman who Venezuela accused of being a mercenary.
Yacob, 72, was held for more than a year by the Maduro regime along with dozens of other Western prisoners.
Yael and Ya’ara, Yaakov’s daughters, also participated in the conversation, who wished to express their appreciation to the State of Israel, the Prime Minister, the Jewish community in Caracas, and all of the state’s envoys for the relentless effort to free their father from prison and return him home.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Harari family and wished the family members and Yaakov health, a speedy recovery, and a return to a normal life after the nightmare they went through.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation to the Foreign Ministry, the Mossad, and the coordinator of the Shul, Gal Hirsch, for their work and wished to thank the American government, the German government, the Austrian government, and the Italian government for the assistance they provided to Israel in the process of returning Yaakov to his homeland.