Argentina Plans Embassy Shift to Jerusalem in 2026

Argentinian President Javier Milei has declared that his country will transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2026. This move reflects Milei's strong support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who currently faces growing international criticism.

Currently, Argentina’s embassy is based in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv. However, during a speech to Israel’s parliament (the Knesset) on Wednesday, Milei proudly announced the upcoming relocation to West Jerusalem. He emphasized Argentina’s solidarity with Israel during difficult times and condemned what he called the international community’s biased stance, accusing it of siding with terrorists and blaming the victims.

Milei, now on his second official visit to Israel since becoming president in 2023, reiterated Argentina’s call for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including four Argentinian nationals captured during the October 7, 2023 attack.

The president also took aim at environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who was recently detained and deported by Israeli authorities after participating in a Freedom Flotilla Coalition mission that attempted to breach Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. Milei accused Thunberg of seeking media attention and dismissed her claims of being kidnapped, stating that real hostages are enduring inhumane conditions in Gaza.

Israel continues to face international backlash over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 55,000 since the conflict began over 20 months ago.

Milei had initially announced his intention to move the embassy during his first visit to Israel in February 2024, where he also prayed at the Western Wall. Before Milei's latest speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that “Jerusalem will never be divided again.”

The status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel claims the entire city as its capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem  occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in 1980  as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The United Nations does not recognize this annexation.

As a result of the city’s contested status, most countries have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv. Only six nations  the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay  have established embassies in West Jerusalem. The U.S. led the shift under President Donald Trump in 2017 by officially recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocating its embassy there in 2018, a move that sparked international criticism. This policy remains unchanged under President Joe Biden.