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New Argentine President Names His Personal Rabbi as Next Ambassador to Israel
Argentine President Javier Milei visiting the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens, New York. Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid
Argentina’s new president intends to appoint the rabbi who has served as his spiritual advisor for the last two years as the Latin American country’s new envoy to the State of Israel.
Argentine media outlets reported on Tuesday that President Javier Milei — a populist outsider who won a surprise victory in last month’s presidential election — has named Rabbi Axel Wahnish as Argentina’s Ambassador in Tel Aviv.
Milei was introduced to Wahnish by a mutual friend in 2021 after the former was lambasted on social media as a “Nazi.” In the intervening period, the two developed a close relationship, studying Torah and other Jewish texts together, with the Catholic Milei saying openly that were it not for the duties of his office, which require him to work on the Sabbath and on Jewish holidays, he would convert to Judaism. After his election victory, Milei’s first visit abroad was to New York, where he visited the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe accompanied by Wahnish.
On Sunday night, Washnish was among the speakers at an inter-religious service to mark Milei’s inauguration at the Buenos Aires Cathedral that was also attended by Christian and Muslim faith leaders.
“Much is said about the faith that man has to have in God, but sometimes we forget a small detail: the faith that God has in us,” Wahnish told the gathering. “God has faith in you, Mr. President. He has faith that we are all going to stand up together to build a society with freedom, justice, and goodness.”
On foreign policy matters, Milei’s administration is expected to engage in a 180 degree turn, energetically supporting Israel in its war against Hamas following the Oct. 7 terrorist atrocities, as well as Ukraine as it prepares to mark the second anniversary of the Russian invasion. Among the visitors to Buenos Aires for Milei’s inauguration was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Wahnish is reported to already be preparing for his new role, attending a meeting on Sunday with newly-appointed Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen. During his election campaign, Milei spoke positively about moving the Argentine Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, although that prospect has not been raised again since his victory at the polls.
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Israeli Strike on Tehran Kills Bodyguard of Slain Hezbollah Chief
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A member of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was killed in an Israeli air strike on Tehran alongside a member of an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, a senior Lebanese security source told Reuters and the Iraqi group said on Saturday.
The source identified the Hezbollah member as Abu Ali Khalil, who had served as a bodyguard for Hezbollah’s slain chief Hassan Nasrallah. The source said Khalil had been on a religious pilgrimage to Iraq when he met up with a member of the Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada group.
They traveled together to Tehran and were both killed in an Israeli strike there, along with Khalil’s son, the senior security source said. Hezbollah has not joined in Iran’s air strikes against Israel from Lebanon.
Kataeb Sayyed Al-Shuhada published a statement confirming that both the head of its security unit and Khalil had been killed in an Israeli strike.
Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli aerial attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs in September.
Israel and Iran have been trading strikes for nine consecutive days since Israel launched attacks on Iran, saying Tehran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it does not seek nuclear weapons.
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Hamas Financial Officer and Commander Eliminated by IDF in the Gaza Strip
Israeli soldiers operate during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), announced on Friday the killing of Ibrahim Abu Shamala, a senior financial official in Hamas’ military wing.
The operation took place on June 17th in the central Gaza Strip.
Abu Shamala held several key positions, including financial officer for Hamas’ military wing and assistant to Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing until his elimination in March 2024.
He was responsible for managing all the financial resources of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, overseeing the planning and execution of the group’s war budget. This involved handling and smuggling millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip to fund Hamas’ military operations.
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Report: Wary of Assassination by Israel, Khamenei Names 3 Potential Successors
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday citing unnamed Iranian officials. It is understood the Ayatollah fears he could be assassinated in the coming days.
Khamenei reportedly mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications.
Khamenei has designated three senior religious figures as candidates to replace him as well as choosing successors in the military chain of command in the likely event that additional senior officials be eliminated.
Earlier on Saturday Israel confirmed the elimination of Saeed Izadi and Bhanam Shahriari.
Shahriari, head of Iran’s Quds Force Weapons Transfer Unit, responsible for arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, was killed in an Israeli airstrike over 1,000 km from Israel in western Iran.
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