The Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the State of Israel, the Israeli President and the Israeli MFA held a reception to celebrate the 75th year of the relationship between Argentina and Israel on Monday 15th December at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , at the city of Jerusalem
The event took place in the presence of the President of Israel Mr. Isaac Herzog, the Argentinian Embassador to Israel H.E. Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, the Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar , the Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana and additional ministers and Knesset members
Today (16.12) the Argentine Embassy in Israel held an event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark the 75th anniversary of relations between Israel and Argentina. The event was chaired by the President of the State, Mr. Yitzhak Herzog, the Speaker of the Knesset, Mr. Amir Ohana, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gideon Saar, and the Argentine Ambassador to Israel, Shimon Axel Wahnish.
The event opened with a reception at which an exhibition by the Argentine artist Oscar Soler was presented, entitled: "Bridges between Buenos Aires and Jerusalem" which presents paintings and drawings of iconic buildings in the two cities. Each of the works of art not only teaches about the unique architecture in each of the cities but also reflects the culture and history of the countries. The exhibition will be displayed in the entrance hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem next month as a sign of the close ties between the two countries that began back in 1949.
Argentina has the largest Jewish community on the South American continent. In Israel, the Argentine community is deeply involved in Israeli society. In recognition of the community's activities in Israel and the committees for relations between peoples, the Ambassador honored four prominent members of the Argentine community in Israel who, through their public work, serve as a bridge between peoples; former Knesset member and economist Mr. Manuel Trachtenberg, Yad Vashem Chairman Mr. Danny Dayan, Mishraide Ms. Tali Grossaus, and soccer player Mr. Marco Wolf.
Argentina is the first country in South America to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, and last July, President Millay declared Hamas a terrorist organization. It was recently elected president of the IHRA and is the only country on the continent to be a full member of the organization. Argentina is working with Israel to try to free the dual-citizen abductees in Gaza, including the Bibas family. The event was attended by families of abductees and ransomed captives with Argentine citizenship, who were invited to the stage to call for the rapid release of the 100 abductees held by Hamas.
*President of the State Isaac Herzog:* "It is a great honor to celebrate a courageous and beautiful friendship between nations. The ties between us have expanded in many new directions, and there is no doubt that the bridges between us have become stronger than ever under the leadership of my dear friend, President Javier Milley, who, after the brutal massacre of October 7, came to Israel on a visit of solidarity. Now, in Israel, in Argentina, and around the world, we continue to hear the cries of our brothers and sisters, including Argentine citizens, who are still in the tunnels in Gaza. We continue to cry out and demand together that this heinous and ongoing crime against humanity be ended."
*Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana:* “Under the leadership of President Milley, the relationship between Israel and Argentina has never been better. I experienced the warmth of friendship just a few months ago, during my visit to Buenos Aires, where I met with President Millay, his cabinet ministers, and my colleague, Speaker of the House of Representatives Martin Menem. In the midst of the traumatic period we are experiencing, Argentina has become the North Star of freedom and a moral conscience that resonates on the world stage, including in its defense of Israel against the hypocrisy of the United Nations. We have come here today to thank President Millay, the Parliament, and the Argentine people for the special bond we share. For seventy-five years, our alliance has not only stood the test of time – it is reaching its peak.”
*Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar:* "Unfortunately, we also have a history of shared tragedies, which we are still experiencing today. On October 7, Hamas' brutal terrorist attacks took the lives of many Israeli-Argentine citizens. Among the hostages still held captive by Hamas are Israeli and Argentine citizens. Israel and Argentina stand together on this issue. *Israel is committed to reaching a deal to release the hostages.* I would like to thank President Javier Milley and Foreign Minister Gerardo Vertijn for their commitment to strengthening the friendship between the countries. Under President Milley's leadership, Argentina has entered a new era. We *thank our dear friend, President Milley, for his announcement that he intends to move the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people.* I intend to make every effort to strengthen the ties between our countries. I plan to visit Buenos Aires this coming March, along with a delegation from the private sector. This will be an opportunity to advance our ties to the next level."
*Argentine Ambassador to Israel Shimon Axel and Wahnish:* "Argentina has been a partner of Israel for 74 years. Today, as we celebrate 75 years of relations between the countries, under President Javier Millay, Argentina becomes a friend. As part of the close relations between the countries, they are working on a joint agreement that will be a counter to the agreement that the Argentine government signed at the time with Iran. The goal of this agreement is to promote democracy, freedom and fight terrorism. True friends are revealed in moments of crisis. From the first moment of his presidency, President Millay supported Israel's right to defend itself, condemned the brutality of the attack by the Hamas terrorist organization and called for the immediate release of all the kidnapped men and women."
Photos credit
Shlomi Amzalem / GPO
Haim Zach / GPO
