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Argentine President Javier Milei visited the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish prayer site during his tour of the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Photo/Ammar Awad/REUTERS
TEL AVIV – Argentine President Javier Milei stated that his country wants to relocate its embassy to West Jerusalem. This statement appeared on Tuesday (6/2/2024) during a visit to Israel.
The Gaza-based Hamas group condemned the action. Milei was welcomed at Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv by Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
He continued on to Jerusalem to pray at the Western Wall, a sacred site for Jews that is believed to be the last surviving part of the Second Temple.
Images circulating on social media showed Milei crying and hugging Rabbi Axel Wahnish, who was reportedly her choice as Argentina's ambassador to Israel.
“I warmly welcome the arrival of the President of Argentina in Israel, our friend Javier Milei, who announced the transfer of the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem. Welcome friends!” said Prime Minister (PM) of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls Gaza, has issued a statement describing, “Milei's actions as a violation of the Palestinian people's rights to their land, and a violation of the rules of international law, considering Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land.”
Jerusalem was divided along armistice lines in 1949, but Israeli forces took control of the city in 1967.
Both Israel and Palestine claim the city as their respective capitals.
Milei, 53, was elected last November on a libertarian platform to get rid of old, corrupt politics.