Argentine Pres. Milei confirms embassy move to Jerusalem, alliance with Israel
JERUSALEM — In a historic speech to the Knesset, Argentine President Javier Milei confirmed that Argentina will move its embassy to Jerusalem in 2026, fulfilling a promise he made on his previous visit to Israel.
"In 2026, we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of Jerusalem," Milei told the Israeli Parliament, prompting a standing ovation from lawmakers, President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and relatives of those kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, and other attendees.
During his speech, the Argentine president expressed a deep bond with Israel and highlighted the values shared between the two nations:
"Israel is a bastion of the values that made us prosperous and represents a great starting point for rediscovering ourselves."
Milei will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Israel against terrorism and antisemitism, reinforcing his stance of support for the Israel Defense Forces following the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. In that context, he criticized those who question the Israeli military response:
"They have allowed themselves to be manipulated by terrorist propaganda. It is important to understand that we are in a battle between good and evil."
The Argentine president recalled the attacks on the AMIA and the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and demanded the release of the four Argentine citizens still kidnapped by Hamas.
During the day, the Israeli prime minister praised Milei with a soccer wink by proclaiming: "Maradona or Messi ... To friends, everything. Let's go Argentina, let's go Israel!" For his part, Milei reaffirmed his alignment with Israel and the United States as "strategic partners" and harshly criticized the "woke" ideology and activist Greta Thunberg.
Finally, the Argentine president reaffirmed his commitment to freedom and the structural transformation of his country: "We seek to make Argentina the freest country in the world. We're not going to stop until that happens."
Plans to relocate the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem mark a diplomatic turning point in Latin America, strengthening ties between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv in a sensitive geopolitical context marked by religious and political symbolism.
This article was originally published at CP Español
