Javier Milei’s incoming administration is shaping up to be one of the most pro-Israel governments in Argentina’s history, at a time other Latin American nations have spoken out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy to eradicate Hamas.
A week after winning the Nov. 19 runoff election, Milei arrived in New York on Monday morning for his first trip abroad as president-elect and headed straight to the tomb of a famous orthodox Jewish rabbi in Queens. Donning a kippa and all black outfit, he visited Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s grave to pay respects.
The symbolic gesture illustrates how committed the incoming leader is to deepening Argentina’s cultural and political ties with Israel while much of Latin America, a Catholic stronghold, remains neutral or even critical.