New pro-Israel Argentinian President Milei attends Hanukkah event; 'light prevails over darkness'

The newly-elected president of Argentina, Javier Milei, attended a Hanukkah celebration in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

Milei, who is a vocal friend of the Jewish nation, said that heavenly forces support Israel “at this time.” about the ongoing war between Israel and the terror organization Hamas.

“We know that the forces of heaven will support Argentina and above all will support Israel at this time. Thank you very much and long live freedom, damn it,” Milei stated.

“The main lesson is that light prevails over darkness,” Milei added, referring to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which is also called the "Festival of Lights."

The new conservative Argentinian president, who hails from a traditional Catholic family, has reportedly developed a strong interest in Judaism. Milei even studied the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, for several years and reportedly considered converting to Judaism at one time.

Following his election victory in November, Milei visited the tomb of a celebrated rabbi in New York, signaling the great importance the new Argentinian leader attributes to Judaism. He reportedly consults with a rabbi on various life issues, as well.

Milei, who has been described as an Argentinian “Trump,” identifies himself as a “natural” ally of the State of Israel and the United States. On Sunday, Milei gave a Jewish menorah (candelabrum with eight branches) to Ukraine’s Jewish-born President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Argentina is home to the largest Jewish community in South America, numbering some 200,000 Jews. While Jewish life has generally thrived in Argentina for many decades, about 85 people were murdered in a terror attack in 1994 at the Jewish Community Center (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires. The Iranian regime and its terror proxy Hezbollah were believed to be behind the terror attack in Argentina, which was one of the worst post-Holocaust terror attacks against Jews before the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre.

In addition, there have been pockets of local antisemitism reported in the South American country, which harbored fleeing Nazis after the Second World War.

In July 2022, Dani Dayan, the Argentinian-born head of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, held high-level meetings in Buenos Aires to combat hate speech, including anti-Jewish sentiments.

“The moment we asked for a meeting, his office said 'Yes,'” Dayan told ALL ISRAEL NEWS at the time referring to then-Argentinian President Alberto Fernández.

“I think it sends an important message that Holocaust remembrance and fighting antisemitism stem from the highest levels of government,” he added.

“This is a significant event for me to return to the city, in which I was born and grew up as chairman of Yad Vashem,” Dayan noted.

The Yad Vashem head said one of his main tasks was to facilitate Holocaust education around the world.