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Argentine President Milei Set to Visit Israel to Strengthen Ties, Boost Cooperation
Argentine President Javier Milei delivers a speech at the Madrid Economic Forum, in Madrid, Spain, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
Argentine President Javier Milei is set to arrive in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for a three-day visit to the Jewish state, where he is expected to meet with Israeli officials to deepen bilateral relations and cooperation, after postponing a planned trip in March.
Last week, Milei embarked on a 10-day international tour — the longest since he took office — with planned stops in Italy, France, Spain, and Israel, where he will spend the most time.
In two separate meetings scheduled for Tuesday, the Argentine leader will meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Later that day, Milei will also visit the Western Wall (Kotel), which he described as “the highlight” of the trip.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to take part in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the City of David, followed by a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Later that afternoon, Milei will meet with relatives of Argentine-Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas during the terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to offer his support and solidarity.
Milei is also set to deliver a formal address at Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, where he will be awarded the prestigious $1 million Genesis Prize — dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by TIME magazine.
According to the Genesis Prize Foundation, Milei will be the first non-Jewish recipient of the award and the first head of state to receive it in recognition of his unwavering support for Israel, commitment to democratic values, and resolute stand against terrorism and antisemitism.
The Argentine leader announced he will donate the prize money to fund a new initiative aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties between Israel and Latin American countries, as well as combating antisemitism across the region.
On Thursday, Milei is scheduled to speak at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and later that day, he will announce the launch of direct flights between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv.
During his last day in Israel, Milei will sign a “Memorandum of Understanding for Democracy and Freedom” with Netanyahu to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and antisemitism.
The agreement is intended as a counterweight to the MoU signed by former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner with Iran, which allegedly covered up the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
After signing the MoU, Milei and Netanyahu will deliver a joint declaration.
Since taking office over a year ago, Milei has been one of Israel’s most vocal supporters, strengthening bilateral relations to unprecedented levels and in the process breaking with decades of Argentine foreign policy tradition to firmly align with Jerusalem and Washington.
In February 2024, on his first international trip as president, Milei visited Israel in a show of wartime solidarity and reiterated his pledge to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Earlier this year, more than 30 members of the Argentine Congress signed a Declaration of Solidarity and Friendship with the State of Israel in the Buenos Aires parliament. The declaration emphasized their unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, while also expressing strong backing for the recognition of Jerusalem as the country’s capital.
The post Argentine President Milei Set to Visit Israel to Strengthen Ties, Boost Cooperation first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Criticizes Nation-Wide Strike That ‘Strengthens Hamas’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, Sept. 2, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday harshly criticized nationwide demonstrations calling for the release of hostages and an end to the Gaza war.
Speaking at a government meeting, Netanyahu argued that such protests only strengthen Hamas and risk repeating the atrocities of October 7.
“Those who call today for an end to Hamas’s war not only harden the terrorist group’s position and delay the release of our hostages, but also guarantee that the horrors of October 7 will be repeated and that we will have to fight an endless war,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister defended Israel’s ongoing military operations, citing strikes carried out in recent days: “In the last 24 hours, the navy attacked power stations in Yemen, IDF soldiers struck Zeitoun and eliminated dozens of terrorists in Gaza, and the air force targeted Hezbollah commanders and launch sites in Lebanon.”
He added that Israel’s response in Lebanon was consistent with the ceasefire agreement: “According to this agreement, we will meet with fire any violation and any attempt to arm Hezbollah.”
Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s conditions for ending the conflict, stressing the need for continued security control in Gaza and the group’s long-term demilitarization. He rejected Hamas’s demand for a full Israeli withdrawal: “They want us to leave Gaza entirely — from the north, the south, the Philadelphi corridor, and the security perimeter. That would only allow them to reorganize, rearm, and attack us again.”
The war has now entered its 681st day, with 49 hostages still held by Hamas.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Israelis joined a general strike organized by the Hostage Families Forum, calling for the return of all captives in a single deal and for an end to the war. Demonstrations spread across the country, at major intersections, government ministers’ homes, and familiar protest hubs such as Kaplan Junction and the Ayalon highways.
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Family Releases Footage of Matan Zangauker in Captivity
A screenshot of a video released by the family of hostage Matan Zangauker.
i24 News – The family of Matan Zangauker, the Israeli hostage held by Hamas since October 7, shared new footage of him from captivity on Sunday evening.
The video, obtained by the IDF, was recorded several months ago.
In the recording, 32-year-old Matan looks directly into the camera, addressing his loved ones: “Tato, Shani, Ilana, I miss you. God willing, we’ll see each other soon. All my friends and acquaintances, go out and make noise like only you know how.”
Matan was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with his partner Ilana Gritsievsky, who was released in a hostage deal last year. Since then, Matan has remained in Hamas custody while his family continues to fight for his return.
On the national protest day calling for the release of hostages, Ilana staged a poignant display at Hostages Square. Dressed in a wedding gown beneath a chuppah, she symbolically “married” Matan in his absence. “Matan, my curly-haired one, if you hadn’t been abducted, we could already be married. In a single day, our world was destroyed, and you’re not here to hold me. I’m fighting for you until you come back,” she said.
Matan’s mother, Einav, has emerged as a leading voice in the campaign for the hostages’ release and has sharply criticized Israel’s political leadership, accusing them of undermining potential hostage deals.
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Hamas Rejects Israel’s Gaza Relocation Plan
Palestinians, displaced by the Israeli offensive, shelter in a tent camp as the Israeli military prepares to relocate residents to southern Gaza, in Gaza City August 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinian terrorist group Hamas said on Sunday that Israel’s plan to relocate residents from Gaza City constitutes a “new wave of genocide and displacement” for hundreds of thousands of residents in the area.
The group said the planned deployment of tents and other shelter equipment by Israel into southern Gaza was a “blatant deception.”
The Israeli military has said it is preparing to provide tents and other equipment starting from Sunday ahead of its plan to relocate residents from combat zones to the south of the enclave “to ensure their safety.”
Hamas said in a statement that the deployment of tents under the guise of humanitarian purposes is a blatant deception intended to “cover up a brutal crime that the occupation forces prepare to execute.”
Israel said earlier this month that it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center. The plan has raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished strip, which is home to about 2.2 million people.