Argentine President Milei Addresses Chabad Event, Emphasizes 'Judeo-Christian Values' as Argentina Courts European Jews
Argentine President Javier Milei spoke to 1,800 attendees at a Chabad-Lubavitch event marking the 32nd anniversary of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's death, becoming what appears to be the first sitting non-Jewish head of state to make an official tribute to the Lubavitcher Rebbe at a major Chabad gathering. Milei, a self-described 'anarcho-capitalist' who has expressed a desire to convert to Judaism after leaving office, used the occasion to argue that capitalism is divinely ordained and rooted in Judeo-Christian values. The event underscores Argentina's broader effort under Milei to position itself as a welcoming destination for European Jews facing rising antisemitism.
Argentine President Javier Milei delivered a 40-minute keynote address at a Chabad-Lubavitch event in Buenos Aires on Monday, commemorating the 32nd yahrzeit of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson before a crowd of 1,800 people. Milei, who has previously visited Schneerson's grave in New York, made pilgrimages to the Western Wall, and gifted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a portrait of the Rebbe, appears to be the first sitting non-Jewish head of state to make an official tribute at a major Chabad event. His speech drew heavily from Jewish religious texts and previewed the epilogue of his upcoming book, 'Morality as State Policy,' in which he argues that capitalism was invented by 'the Creator' to bring paradise to earth through work. Concurrently, Argentina's Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno publicly invited British and European Jews to consider relocating to Argentina, citing the country's low antisemitism rate relative to other nations with large Jewish populations, as documented in a 2025 Tel Aviv University report. Reactions within Argentina's Jewish community are mixed: Chabad's Argentine head praised Milei's personal sincerity, while some community members expressed concern that his high-profile Zionism could increase unwanted public scrutiny of Jewish life. Israel's ambassador to Argentina endorsed the foreign minister's invitation, stating that Argentina is currently a better environment for Jewish life than Europe. The event also featured testimony from Yosef Chaim Ohana, a survivor of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, and Milei subsequently hosted the Ohana family at the presidential palace.
What's missing
The articles do not address potential domestic Argentine political motivations behind Milei's public embrace of Judaism and outreach to European Jews, nor do they include perspectives from Argentine non-Jewish civil society or critics who might view the government's religious positioning differently. The actual scale of European Jewish interest in relocating to Argentina, beyond the foreign minister's social media post, is also unquantified.
How coverage differed
The Jerusalem Post framed the story with an emphasis on Milei's personal admiration for Judaism and his philosemitism as a positive development, while the Times of Israel presented the same content in a slightly more neutral, descriptive register without the same celebratory undertone, though both articles drew from the same JTA wire report and the substantive differences were minimal.
What different sources said
- The Jerusalem PostRight
Milei praises ‘Judeo-Christian values’ at Chabad event as Argentina courts European Jews
- Times of IsraelCenter
Courting European Jews, Javier Milei praises ‘Judeo-Christian values’ at Chabad event
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