Javier Milei speaks to the Knesset - full transcript

President Javier Milei gave a strongly pro-Israel speech before the Knesset today (Wednesday), in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Here is the full transcript, courtesy of the Knesset Spokesperson:

"It is an honor for me to visit this distinguished country and it is certainly a great honor to be the first President of Argentina to have the privilege of addressing the Knesset.

"With Hamas's attack on October 7th, the people of Israel fell victim to the greatest cruelty in the last 80 years. We see the shadow of antisemitism returning even to Western countries. The humanitarian lessons we thought would never be forgotten have been eroded. We thought we had put an end to barbarism, but the tragedy of October 7th awakened us from that dream.

"We Argentinians experienced this firsthand at the Israeli embassy in the 1990s where 114 people were killed. On October 7th, 251 people were kidnapped including 21 American citizens. There are 4 Argentine citizens still in captivity and we will continue to demand their release.

"The West stands at a test as different types of barbarism attack it. The West is poisoned from within by the barbarism of the relativism movement that has corrupted our morality. Like that climate activist who became a mercenary for some media attention, claiming she was kidnapped while there are actually kidnapped people under inhumane conditions in Gaza.

"The point is that the way basic moral principles have been corrupted paves the way for terror because it grants legitimacy to the methods of unscrupulous terrorists. How does the world allow a murderous terror organization to continue holding innocent civilians as hostages.

"When the two sides are good and evil, there is no moral equivalence here. Argentina will make its voice heard and defend peoples who want to defend Western civilization.

"I said at the beginning of my term that I consider Israel and the US as our two main strategic partners. We previously allied with tyrants, intolerance and oppression because that was the direction they wanted to lead the country, but we chose freedom and Western democratic values.

"The fact that we share the same ideals makes us partners. Our government confirms Israel's right to defend itself.

"We did not hesitate to declare Hamas a terrorist organization and in 2026 we will move our embassy to Jerusalem. Tomorrow we will sign a memorandum on freedom and democracy and the fight against terror and antisemitism.

"My brothers and sisters, Argentina stands by your side in these difficult days. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about much of the international community that is being manipulated by the terrorists and turning victims into perpetrators. It's important to understand that we are in the midst of a battle between good and evil and we started losing this battle when we stopped distinguishing between the two.

"The international community must urgently reconnect with its moral compass. To decide, one only needs to look at the facts - on one side the barbaric terror that only kills and destroys, and on the other side the only stronghold in the region where there is freedom and democracy.

"Argentina is undergoing its own exodus from Egypt, liberating itself after 100 years of political past. It became one of the countries with the largest tax burden in the world. Our government inherited over 50% poverty. They chose a new person who was an outsider to politics to lead the nation. We were elected to make Argentina a freer country and we will not rest until we do so."