EN VIVO Declaración conjunta de Milei y Netanyahu desde Jerusalén ( en español )| USA EN VIVO 🔴

Thank you, please. Thank you. Welcome everyone. Your Excellency, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, President of the Republic of Argentina, Mr. Javier Milei, and all our distinguished guests. Today we gather to mark a significant milestone between our two nations, defined by the deep friendship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Milei and the growing partnership between Israel and Argentina. We are especially honored to welcome President Milei on his third visit to Israel as president, a reflection of the strength and importance of this relationship. This partnership is rooted in shared principles: a commitment to truth, liberty, and a firm stance against terror and injustice, which continues to deepen, creating new opportunities that strengthen our cooperation in innovation, economy, technology, security, and tourism, reinforcing the strong connection between Jerusalem and Buenos Aires. President Milei is a true and genuine friend of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. He has demonstrated moral clarity and courage through his leadership, setting a powerful example on the global stage. Today, we are pleased to advance this relationship further with agreements between Israel and Argentina that will deepen the ties between our two nations. Now, I am pleased to announce the launch of a direct flight route between Israel and Argentina, which will be operated by El Al. This is a significant and exciting step that will bring our countries closer, strengthen tourism, and deepen commercial and cultural ties between our nations. Prime Minister Netanyahu will now share a few words at the podium.

This is the third visit of my friend, my chaver Javier, to Jerusalem. But he is not just a personal friend and someone I deeply admire as a great leader, a great economic leader, and a great world leader. It is also of special significance because this is the first time in Israel's history, in 78 years, that we have granted a foreign leader the honor of lighting a torch on our Independence Day. It has never happened before, and it is right and just that it happens now with Javier Milei. Congratulations.

Under his leadership, Argentina has spoken with moral clarity. This is a foundation of leadership. Politics always involves compromises, but if you only compromise, or if you compromise primarily and don't defend the things you believe are right, the conviction of what is right and wrong, what is just and unjust, what will move us forward and what will hold us back. If you don't defend the things you believe in, why be in politics? It's boring and also not very pleasant. It requires moral fiber. And Javier Milei has enormous strength and enormous clarity. Moral clarity. And I would say that moral clarity is worth nothing without another human quality, which is courage. And President Milei has both in abundance, and he has demonstrated it by supporting Israel, by supporting the Jewish people, by opposing antisemitic slanders, by being present in our hour of need, by being present as we fight the battle of civilization against barbarism. He has been so clear, so resolute, so direct, so unwavering. I salute you, my friend. I believe the free world should salute you. Liberty should salute you. Free people of the world.

We are at a moment of great challenge and great consequence. We have been engaged with the United States in a battle against the great tyranny of Iran that terrorizes the world, that seeks our destruction and seeks to bring down the United States, seeks to bring down Western civilization as we know it. We have achieved enormous things, it is not over yet, and any moment could bring us new developments. Javier Milei has this quality: every time he visits Israel, it is just before something very big happens. I don't know. No, I didn't tell you the last time. I give you my word, and I don't know what I can tell you now because who knows what tomorrow or the day after will bring. But I am sure that with our moral clarity and our partnership, our great partnership with the United States, we will achieve our goals and bring more light, more hope to the free peoples of the world. I have to say that we are also doing something else: we are opening direct flights. Now, you have brought our people closer, now we are bringing them even closer. We are not shortening the distance between Buenos Aires and Jerusalem, but we are shortening the travel time. So we are shortening the travel time, but making our people much stronger. And I believe we simply don't have better partners in the world than the United States of America and the great democracy of Argentina, and you have made it greater. You are lifting it out of decades, decades of stagnation, and you are raising it up, and the whole world is talking about what you have done in Argentina. I wish you the best. I know our alliance is now at its best. So thank you, Javier, for everything you have done. Know that now, since you are a Lubavitcher, you are now part of the mishpocha, part of our family in the deepest sense of the word. Thank you, my friend. Welcome to Jerusalem, and your movement.

Thank you, Prime Minister Netanyahu. Now I would like to welcome to the stage the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gideon Sa'ar, to share a few moments.

President Milei, Prime Minister Netanyahu, ministers, ambassadors. We want to thank you, President Milei, for your leadership and the fresh spirit you have brought not only to your country but also to the struggle of believers in the values of the free world throughout the world and in Latin America. We are seeing an incredible advance in our bilateral relations, incredible. And today we are celebrating two great achievements. First, I want to thank two of my colleagues, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Transport Minister Miri Regev, for their help. A few days after I took office, Axel called me and spoke with me about this issue of direct flights, and it is with a large community of people born in Argentina. One of them is my father here in Israel, and a significant Jewish community in Argentina. This is something that should have happened a long time ago, and there is also a strong desire from many young people who want to visit Argentina. So here I especially want to thank the Ministry of Finance because they usually don't do what they did today regarding some subsidies. By the way, it's not something we usually support. Some subsidies for direct flights and also the issue of investment insurance in Argentina. This is extremely important in terms of our bilateral economic relations. It's an investment, not an expense. Yes, it is. And I am sure they will invest and will be happy and make a lot of money, but you gave extraordinary help. I want to thank you, Bezalel, and also thank your people. We are also signing a counter-terrorism agreement, and it is a moment to say that Argentina is generally speaking under your leadership, presenting a moral dimension in foreign policy, and that was demonstrated in the designation of the Quds Force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. And it is well understood that we must cooperate in the fight against terrorism, and this is very important too. Usually in my work I ask Pablo and Atsu, and I call Argentina from time to time to ask something. So I want to give you a heads-up for another request about three months before this July. Please bring the fourth World Cup title in the World Cup.

Thank you, Minister Sa'ar. Please welcome now the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to share a few words at the podium.

You know, the whole tour was by my side, Mr. President. It's about Argentina and France. It's possible. It's possible. We don't know what the final outcome will be. That's very difficult. Well, Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, my dear colleagues, ministers from here and Argentina, the ambassadors, the ambassador of the United States and the ambassador of Argentina. During the previous visit of the President here in Jerusalem, I mentioned the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He, to Abraham: 'I will bless those who bless you.' Here, the blessed promise is that whoever extends their blessing to the people of Israel and stands on the right side of history will undoubtedly receive the blessing of the heavens. From that moment, Your Excellency, Mr. President, you won the parliamentary elections. It certainly did not prove to be an easy path, but this is most likely part of the divine blessing, and it is precisely what we are trying to convey from here to the whole world today. We are friends of those who are our friends, and as the Prime Minister said, the great courage you have to stand on the right side of history, knowing that in the world there is truth and lies, good and evil. Today we are connecting an air route that actually connects the two sides of the planet. I would call it the line, the line of morality, the line of light, the line of good in the world. And as the Prime Minister said earlier, the United States of America now leads this moral clarity in the world under the leadership of President Trump, and the connection you are leading throughout South America, and that you are driving this line that connects directly with that clear and luminous moral voice, is something that the whole world will undoubtedly remember for many, many years. The Jewish people, as you well know, is characterized by having a very long historical memory. We remember with precision events that happened thousands and thousands of years ago. The Exodus from Egypt was 3,338 years ago. And we will also remember this pact, President Milei, the Chancellor, and all the distinguished guests present. We will remember this pact that is sealed today between peoples and nations for thousands of years to come, and we will be eternally grateful for it. Today we will sign the aviation agreement, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed out, and for this I thank the Comptroller General and her team. We are establishing a guarantee framework in ASRA, this same government company that will cover commercial risks. We are also holding talks with the bank so that the countries of South America offer a joint guarantee from the bank and ours for investments by Israeli institutional entities in projects in Argentina. We foresee billions of dollars being invested in joint projects under the Isaac agreements you will sign today. And I hope we demonstrate to the whole world that there is harmony between good and utility, between morality and values and economic benefits. And that this alliance, which is once again based above all on values, morality, and justice, will also bring great well-being to both peoples and both nations. So thank you very much, Mr. President, for the visit and for the alliance. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for leading this policy, and to my colleagues, the ministers, and again to the Comptroller General. And thank you very much to you, the people of El Al. I really hope you make a lot of money on this route and pay us lots of taxes. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Minister Smotrich. Now I would like to welcome the Minister of Transport, Ms. Miri Regev, to address us.

His Excellency Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most excellent President of Argentina, our very dear and beloved friend, the distinguished citizen of honor in this traditions ceremony. My friends Gideon Sa'ar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bezalel Smotrich, the members of the delegation who have arrived here today, Ms. Karina, Secretary of the Presidency of Argentina, the President of El Al Amikam, although he pretends they pay more taxes. I have come so they pay less taxes and lower prices. Let's make a deal. It seems much more correct to me. What do you care, Bezalel? Fewer flights is better. The Director General of El Al, Dina Ben-Lal, ambassadors, the Ambassador of Argentina in Israel, the Ambassador of Israel in Argentina, my dear Wahani, of course, Mike Huckabee, Ambassador of the United States in Israel. Dear friends, the Director General of Transport, the Director of the Prime Minister's Office. Esteemed all, I have had a double honor. We are gathered here for the official announcement of direct flights between both countries and the signing of an aviation agreement that expands previous agreements between Argentina and Israel, but also as the minister in charge of the traditional ceremony on behalf of the Government of Israel. We have the honor of granting you, Mr. President, the privilege of lighting a torch on the eve of the 78th Independence Day of the State of Israel. The traditions ceremony is the most important state ceremony of the State of Israel, which closes the events of Remembrance Day and opens the celebrations of Independence Day of the State of Israel, a small and powerful country that in these days Prime Minister Netanyahu, together with President Trump, are leading in a brave partnership the transformation of the entire Middle East. During the ceremony, we will celebrate the great friendship between Argentina and Israel. The direct flights agreement between Israel and Argentina is an expression of the friendship that exists between the nations. It is not just a bond that arises from interests, but a connection of true friendship, shared values, and a common path. Prime Minister, I must tell you that from the moment you decided to promote the air agreement with Argentina, the Ministry of Transport, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Finance, have worked to accelerate the agreement, to make it concrete and find a framework that allows its implementation. As you know, we don't usually do this in commercial flights, and it was not easy to carry out such a plan if it hadn't been for the dedication of everyone, including the Comptroller Hagit, the Comptroller General would not have found a scheme that would allow direct flights between Argentina and Israel. This agreement, which is part of the Isaac agreements, adds to the Abraham agreements, those peace pacts and alliances that you, Mr. Prime Minister, are promoting between Israel and numerous nations of the world as a fundamental part of your vision to strengthen the State of Israel in the political, geopolitical, and security planes. To my joy, more and more countries are turning to the State of Israel to promote direct flights between their capitals and Israel. And as you know, we barely have time slots. The airport is full of direct flights like these, but we, of course, from the moment this route begins to operate, will enable a direct time slot between Israel and Argentina to allow more passengers, more flights, and more business. Because everyone understands that the Israeli market, besides being an attractive market, is also a very profitable market. It is not for nothing that more and more foreign companies want to take part and fly to Israel, since the Israeli market is a very lucrative market. And when you travel to Argentina and you find there the young ex-soldiers traveling through Argentina, you hear Hebrew and you think that Israel is a huge, huge country, but no, it's not. It's small and powerful, but strong and fighting, and it really brings its desire for peace. Even in the midst of war and throughout the entire campaign we face against Iran, a large number of Israelis traveled to Argentina. We kept our skies completely open during the armed conflict, and despite the constant threat of missiles, we facilitated the entry and exit of our Israeli citizens, whether for their personal enjoyment, for leisure and entertainment activities, or for any other need or purpose they had. And this is, without a doubt, a fundamental part of our national resilience. And for this, I want to thank you, Prime Minister, for the support, for the backing, and for the joint path to bring more and more aviation agreements. The agreement we signed today is a significant update of the previous agreement that was signed. It was signed in 2017. It will increase the number of flights, expand capacity, and also establish fair rules for sales, for flight prices, and to increase competition. I will work with the Argentine Secretary of Transport to ensure that more airlines join El Al, which today inaugurates the direct route for the first time. And this is an opportunity to thank again the President of El Al, the Director General of El Al, the employees for their commitment to this important initiative and in general for their commitment throughout the war. And to conclude, Mr. President, I have given you the floor. Normally when high dignitaries arrive, there is a very clear protocol rule, and people arrive and stay for a week at Mount Herzl doing rehearsals. I forgave you the rehearsals, I forgave that, but it is impossible to forgive you and it is impossible not to award you the Inspirer Award. The Inspirer Award is an award that no sum of money can buy. It is only good deeds and love for the country, for Israel, and for all of Israeli society. So, Prime Minister, I would like to invite you to join me to present the decoration to the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. And to you, dear friends, I say that nothing in the world can buy this. It is only achieved with good deeds.

Thank you very much, Minister Regev. Now I wish to welcome the President of El Al Airlines, Mr. Amikam Ben-Zaken, to address us as well.