World Cup 2026: Israel loves Argentina but do Argentinians actually love them back?
Hours before Argentina faced Spain in the World Cup final, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message to President Javier Milei."Javier [Milei], you are a real friend, a great friend. We support you, we support Argentina, in so many ways."Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 soon afterwards, but the match had already taken on a political meaning far beyond its footballing context.Across social media, many framed Argentina as Israel’s team and Spain as Palestine’s. The symbolism was not difficult to understand.Milei…
Ahead of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, the match took on significant political meaning, with many on social media framing Argentina as Israel's team and Spain as Palestine's. This symbolism stemmed from Argentine President Javier Milei's strong pro-Israel stance, including his support for Israel during the Gaza conflict and his pledge to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem. Conversely, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has condemned Israel's actions and recognized the State of Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who sent a message to President Milei stating, "Javier [Milei], you are a real friend, a great friend. We support you, we support Argentina, in so many ways."
Other Israeli ministers also publicly supported Argentina. However, a Pew Research Centre survey indicated that 55% of Argentinians hold an unfavorable view of Israel, and some Argentinian supporters rejected the notion that their national team represented Israel's political camp, with one supporter stating, "No Argentinian that is a real Argentinian supports Israel." Netanyahu himself acknowledged that Israel's support was largely due to Milei's pro-Israel policies.
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