MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei cries at Wailing Wall in Israel

Milei arrived in Israel to fulfill a campaign promise

Argentine President Javier Milei Tuesday landed in Tel Aviv on an ElAl flight and cried at the Wailing Wall together with his rabbi friend Axel Wahnish, who will be the South American country's next ambassador. During his first day in Israel, Milei met with President Isaac Herzog and insisted on his promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem.

Milei arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport and was welcomed by Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz. Then, after being surrounded by onlookers and photographers, Milei took a moment to pray and read The Torah in the ancient tunnels.

“Lamentos”:
Porque Javier Milei visitó el Muro de los Lamentos pic.twitter.com/p3YDrLgqZ6

— ¿Por qué es tendencia? (@porquetendencia) February 6, 2024

Also attending Milei's meeting with Herzog by Presidential Secretary Karina Milei; Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, and Wahnish. The Israeli Presidential Orchestra sang the anthems of both countries and the two leaders exchanged gifts. Milei told Herzog that his visit sought to fulfill a campaign promise and support Israel against the attacks by the terrorist group Hamas.

The Palestine organization condemned Milei's plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem, claiming that such a move would be “a violation of the rights of our Palestinian people to their land, and a violation of the norms of international law, considering Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land.”

Argentina would become one of the few countries to have its main diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, instead of Tel Aviv. The United States moved its there in 2018 under President Donald Trump after recognizing the city as Israel's capital.

The United Nations conceived in 1947 a special international status for Jerusalem, given its importance to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But the city was divided after the war that followed Israel's declaration of independence in 1948. Israel seized East Jerusalem from Jordan during the June 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently annexed it, and considers the entire city its indivisible capital. Jerusalem has been under Israeli authority ever since.