President Javier Milei’s February visit to Israel was part of his spiritual journey with Judaism and a quest for moral and cultural change in Argentina, according to a member of his inner circle, Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish.
Wahnish, Milei’s rabbi and his nominee to be Argentina’s next ambassador to Israel, said that he first met the leader on January 28, 2022, when he knew of Milei “as a popular economist and professor.”
According to Wahnish, who spoke to The Jerusalem Post, Milei saw the 1956 Charlton Heston movie The Ten Commandments as a child and was inspired by Moses. His interest in the spiritual continued into adulthood, and the topic of God was brought up when the two men met.
The Rabbi’s meeting with the future president was only supposed to last for 15 minutes but stretched into a two-hour discussion.
The future president started coming to Shabbat meals, “like family,” began reading the weekly Torah portion, and was a very clever and fast learner. He would ask questions about the Torah passages, engaging the rabbi in text conversations for an hour at a time. Wahnish said they would arrive at “the answer to a question together through conversation.”
Many consider Milei to be a populist, winning support by addressing the concerns of the Argentine people about the status quo.
“Many politicians feel that the people serve you – it’s the other way around,” said Wahnish. “A lot of people see in him the hope of getting out of the crisis in Argentina.”
Economics and politics, said Wahnish, are vehicles for moral values. Wahnish said that Milei’s real revolution in Argentina was not truly economic and political, it was cultural and spiritual.
“Even if you’re in a high position, you’re first of all a human being,” said Wahnish. “A great president has to have a great heart.”
Milei’s spiritual journey continued with his trip to Israel on February 6. His visit to the Western Wall, a long time coming, was one of his first acts when he arrived in the Holy Land. Seeing the ancient remnants of the Jewish Temple, Milei cried.
Wahnish said that he was so grateful that he was overcome with emotion. “I wanted to say thanks to God for giving what he gave me,” Milei had said.
Offering gratitude for his election victory was another message of the trip, and the display of emotion demonstrated another message – that he was human.
“People used to think that a president is above other people, not human. We want to show that everyone has emotions and still grows spiritually and to be a better person,” said Wahnish, adding that a person cannot think clearly if they are caught up in their own ego.
Milei, his sister, and General Secretary Karina met several prominent rabbis during their trip, including Chief Rabbis Yisrael Meir Lau and Yitzhak Yosef.
The trip, which occurred during the Hamas-Israel war, was also a humanitarian mission, said Wahnish. Israeli-Argentine citizens had been captured by the terrorist organisation and were held in captivity in Gaza. At the Western Wall, Milei prayed to God for help in the release of the hostages. On February 12, Israeli forces conducted a raid and freed Fernando Marman and Luis Norbeto Har.
Milei visited Argentine nationals and families of the victims of the October 7 massacre. “We listened and cried with them.” They also visited the Israeli border towns that had been attacked, noting that “we saw things you can’t explain with words.”
Another reason for the visit, said Wahnish, was that Milei wanted to show support for Israel following the tragedy and suffering endured at the hands of terrorists. “I think he’s one of the most supportive people of Israel.”
Milei visited Yad Vashem, which is directed by Argentine-born Dani Dayan, and likened the attack on the kibbutzim to the Holocaust.
The Israel trip was not Milei’s only campaign promise. During the campaign, he said he would choose the United States of America and Israel as strategic partners. Milei’s commitment to move Argentina's Embassy to Jerusalem further cemented this promise.
The rabbi said he hoped that they could partner in the fields of health, education, counter-terrorism, and commerce.
“This,” he said, “ is a new chapter in the relationship between Israel and Argentina.”
– TIMES/NA
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