The Palestinians loved Hugo Chavez because he loved them. They loved him for providing them with political support and for outwardly opposing US and Israeli policy. The geographical distance between Palestine and Venezuela has limited the Palestinians’ knowledge of their great benefactor’s home country to only what they have seen on television, but their admiration for him is genuine nonetheless.

Despite the many political and personal rifts dividing them, Palestinians of all backgrounds were united in their sorrow over the Venezuelan leader's death. They considered his passing a great loss for the Palestinian cause, which has never had a supporter that matched Chavez.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his sincere grief over Chavez’s passing in a statement issued by his office, stating, “With the passing of our friend Chavez, the Palestinian people and their national movement lost a mainstay of support in the struggle for justice, freedom and independence. . . The Palestinian people will be forever grateful to Chavez. His courageous support for our right to establish our own independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital will always remain etched in our people’s collective memory.”

Hamas sent its condolences to Venezuela, whose government it described as a friend to Gaza and its people, and also sent its condolences to the friends and family of the late president. The Islamist organization praised Chavez’s positions on the Palestinian issue, saying, “During his life he was a freedom fighter and supporter of the Palestinian cause, a defender of the Palestinian people and their freedom, standing up to Israeli aggression toward the Gaza Strip.”