While other Latin American governments – such as those of Mexico, Chile, and Bolivia – have expressed disapproval of Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attacks on October 7, a leader from the region made a visit to Jerusalem to express support for Benjamin Netanyahu. This individual is Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, who embarked on his inaugural international tour with a visit to Israel on Tuesday.
During his election campaign – prior to the Hamas assaults resulting in around 1,200 fatalities and 240 hostages – the “libertarian” candidate had announced that, if successful, his primary allies would be the United States and Israel. Upon his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, Milei informed Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz that he was fulfilling his promise to make Israel his first destination and was there to support Israel against Hamas terrorists.
While Israel considers Jerusalem its unified capital, Palestinians seek the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future state. Consequently, few countries maintain diplomatic missions there, although in 2018, Donald Trump relocated the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. During his visit, the Argentine president also reiterated his intent to designate Hamas as a “terrorist” entity.
Milei’s trip was warmly received by the Israeli government, which faces mounting pressure due to the more than 25,000 fatalities resulting from its military intervention in Gaza, according to local sources. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with Milei on Wednesday, hailed him as “a staunch ally of the Jewish state” and expressed his government’s satisfaction with the Argentine president’s decision to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem.
But what drives Milei to forge stronger ties with Israel? And what are the potential gains or losses for Argentina in this partnership?
Argentina is home to Latin America’s largest Jewish community and one of the world’s largest outside of Israel. Although the South American nation was among the first to recognize Israel’s establishment in 1948, it wasn’t until 1991 that a president, Carlos Menem, became the first to visit. Menem, who is greatly admired by Milei, believed that his historic visit was a factor in Buenos Aires being targeted twice during his tenure with terrorist attacks involving car bombs.
The first attack occurred at the Israeli embassy in 1992, claiming 22 lives. The second targeted the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) in 1994, resulting in 85 fatalities. Both incidents were attributed to the Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah, allegedly with support from Iran. Despite this, neither case went to trial.
Following a meeting with his South American counterpart, Netanyahu emphasized the shared challenge posed by Iran to regional and international peace and expressed appreciation for ongoing security and diplomatic cooperation.
Milei’s strong personal connection to Judaism, coupled with his administration’s decision to make Israel a priority, underscores the significance of his visit to a nation entrenched in conflict.
