President Javier Milei met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamín Netanyahu in a Manhattan hotel off Central Park Thursday afternoon, with the two leaders discussing the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
The 45-minute meeting took place the same day Argentina’s President addressed the nearby United Nations General Assembly, with the Israeli PM due to deliver his own speech later today.
According to reports in local media, during their talks Milei and Netanyahu analysed the situation of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip (especially those of Argentine origin, four of whom three are believed to be still alive) as well as the geopolitical crisis in the troubled region.
Milei reportedly pledged “Argentina’s firm commitment to collaborate in all the necessary instances with the Israeli authorities.”
Argentine government sources described the meeting as “very good and cordial,” noting that the two leaders treated each other as “friends.”
After the talks, Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Argentina had offered its “full readiness to work alongside Israeli authorities” in pursuit of the release of dual-citizen hostages Eitan Horn and Ariel and David Cunio, as well as the recovery of the body of Lior Rudaeff.
The encounter also touched upon scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries, according to Adorni.
Presidential chief-of-staff Karina Milei, the head of state’s sister, and Ministers Luis Caputo (Economy) and Luis Petri (Defence) also attended the meeting.
The meeting came a day after Milei used his UN speech to demand the release of captives in Gaza and to reaffirm his international alignment with Israel and the United States.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, arrived in New York after talks with the leaders of Paraguay and Serbia, and ahead of an expected meeting at the White House with Donald Trump.
Milei reminded Netanyahu that the Israeli attack on Iran two months ago had found him visiting Jerusalem.
After the meeting, Milei was awarded the Presidential Gold Medal by the B’nai B’rith organisation and held talks with representatives of the World Jewish Congress and the Latin American Jewish Congress.
The La Libertad Avanza leader also found time on Thursday to visit the shrine of the rabbi Rebe de Lubavitch before catching his flight home and returning to Buenos Aires.
– TIMES/NA
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