Javier Milei’s Israel visit and El Al’s new flight plan could backfire for Argentina
Argentina’s Javier Milei is on the longest international tour of his presidency, yet today’s sojourn in Israel is a baffling leg in his global charm offensive. Though born Roman Catholic, Milei has long been fascinated by both Judaism and Israel; Jerusalem was his first diplomatic visit after his 2023 inauguration, including stops at holy sites such as the Western Wall. But this time Milei’s mission is as political as it is spiritual. He will deliver a speech to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, advocate for the movement of Argentina’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, meet with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the families of Israelis who are still held hostage in Gaza (four of those remaining hostages are dual Israeli-Argentine citizens), and pray at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Most notably, Milei will receive Israel’s Genesis prize, a $1m (€878,000) award honouring his commitment to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza. Milei says that he will donate the money to global organisations fighting antisemitism.
His visit comes as nations worldwide are increasingly isolating Israel from the global stage. Last week, Barcelona formally severed all cultural and economic ties with the country, while on Tuesday the Spanish government scrapped a €285m order for Israeli-made anti-tank missiles. Meanwhile, the UK and the EU have begun to waver as their old ally’s current Gaza siege rages without an end in sight.
But not Argentina. Not only is Milei visiting Israel as it continues to take on Hamas but he is also deepening economic ties between the two nations, starting with the launch of a new direct flight between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires on El Al. Although Argentina is home to Latin America’s largest Jewish community, the new flight could prove challenging. El Al previously operated a Tel Aviv-Sao Paulo route, which ended after two years for lack of commercial viability. Argentina’s economy, even amid the expansion that Milei has delivered, is just a quarter of Brazil’s, though El Al could fill planes with both business travellers and Catholic pilgrims.
While the new El Al route has yet to receive a formal launch date, it signifies both Israel and Argentina’s commitment to bilateralism despite the messy optics. There are increasingly vocal calls for Israel to be sanctioned by Europe as its Gaza campaign continues. Such censures could then extend to nations doing business with Israel – and Argentina seeks to do more business than ever. Milei has made clear that he refuses to rule his nation at the behest of global public opinion. But he’s staked his presidency on reversing a century of Argentine economic decline. So far the turnaround is proceeding (relatively) glitch-free, particularly as Donald Trump remains among his most vocal global cheerleaders. But if Netanyahu shifts from proposed pariah to official pariah – and Israel to a pariah state – Milei’s affinity for the country might prove the ultimate ballot-buster when he faces re-election in two years’ time.
Kaufman is an editor and columnist for the ‘New York Post’. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.
