Argentina's President Javier Milei has delighted his Israeli hosts by announcing his intentions to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem almost immediately after landing, AFP reports.
The 53-year-old economist, who bucked traditional politics to win last year's election, was warmly welcomed by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
Milei, who is on his first official visit since taking office apart from a brief visit to the economic forum in Davos, Switzerland, said, "My plan is to move the embassy to West Jerusalem."
The confirmation of the widely expected announcement appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose office said it "warmly welcomed" the move.
"The prime minister spoke about this with President Milei after his election and welcomed the fact that the president has kept his promise," the statement said.
Palestinian militant group Hamas said it "strongly condemns" Argentine President Javier Milei's actions.
Hamas said it viewed the move as "a violation of the rights of our Palestinian people over their land and a violation of the rules of international law considering Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian land."
Netanyahu and Milei, who has been compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump, are due to meet for talks on February 7 with the aim of deepening ties between the two countries.
After his arrival, he headed to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the holiest site where Jews can pray. During his trip, he will also visit a kibbutz and meet with the families of the hostages taken by Hamas in October.
Milei describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalist." He grew up in a Catholic family but studied Jewish literature.
After his election victory in November, he visited the tomb of a revered rabbi in New York, a popular spiritual destination for some Jews.
Argentina's Jewish community numbers 250,000 and is one of the largest in Latin America. / BGNES
