Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Argentina's ambassador to Israel, Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, at his office on Saturday for a warm diplomatic exchange that culminated in a personal message to Argentine President Javier Milei on the eve of the World Cup final.
The meeting, described as especially warm and friendly, highlighted the deepening strategic partnership between the two leaders against the backdrop of tomorrow's championship match. Wahnish, an Orthodox rabbi who has served as Milei's personal spiritual adviser and became the first rabbi in history appointed as an ambassador to Israel, presented Netanyahu with an official Argentina national team jersey and a matching soccer ball sent specially from Buenos Aires as a gesture of friendship between the two peoples. Video of the meeting showed Netanyahu playfully heading the ball back to the ambassador to laughter in the room, while Wahnish explained that the jersey was an original and increasingly hard to obtain given the enormous demand for it both in Argentina and around the world.
Wahnish then played Netanyahu a recorded personal greeting from Milei. "You are my friend and you always support us," the Argentine president said in the message. "I was glad to hear you're rooting for Argentina because of me."
Netanyahu listened closely and responded immediately with his own personal message, asking Wahnish to relay it directly to Milei. "Javier, you are a friend. A true friend," Netanyahu said. "We support you and we support Argentina in so many ways, including tomorrow. Good luck."
Netanyahu went on to describe what he called the historic significance of Israel's current relationship with the government in Buenos Aires, saying he does not hide his support for Argentina and believes most Israelis share the sentiment. He attributed that goodwill to what he described as the diplomatic transformation Milei has led since taking office, one that he said has completely reshaped Argentina's posture toward Israel and turned it into one of Israel's closest and most loyal allies on the international stage. The meeting closed with the two sides jointly declaring "Vamos Argentina" and exchanging mutual wishes of success.
