Argentina President Javier Milei arrived in Israel Tuesday where he was greeted by Foreign Minister Israel Katz at Ben Gurion Airport. He reiterated his pledge to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Katz thanked Milei, who made Israel his first bilateral visit as president, for his support for Israel, and for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The timing of Milei’s announcement comes as Israel faces growing international pressure to end its military assault on Gaza, while undergoing mediated captive swaps and a potential truce negotiation. Popular support has drastically shifted since the onset of Israel’s war with Hamas due to heavy Palestinian civilian casualties.
Following then-US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the embassy, an emergency UN General Assembly session was held and passed a resolution declaring the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as “null and void.”
The United Nations in 1947 envisaged a special international status for Jerusalem, given its importance for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
The European Union views the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of both Israel and Palestine, in line with its recognition of a two-state solution as being the only viable resolution for the two countries.
French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian at the time stated that the United States’ decision “contravenes international law and in particular the resolutions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly.”
Palestinian militant group Hamas on Tuesday said it “strongly condemns” Argentinian President Javier Milei after he announced plans to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Hamas said it viewed the move as “an infringement of the rights of our Palestinian people to their land and a violation of the rules of international law, considering Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land.”
The United States, Honduras, Guatemala, Kosovo and Israel have all moved their embassies to Jerusalem, strengthening the city’s claim as Israel’s capital, while most foreign countries currently situate their embassies in or around Tel Aviv.
Milei is set to visit the Western Wall and meet with President Isaac Herzog later today, before his planned meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow.
Accompanying him on the three-day visit are Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and his personal Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish. Wahnish is expected to become Argentina’s ambassador to Israel.
While Milei is not Jewish, he has expressed interest in Judaism and has spoken about potentially converting to the Jewish religion.
