“Israel is very close to my heart and that is why I decided to place a mezuzah (sacred symbol of Judaism to protect homes) in the Casa Rosada of Argentina, to feel the holiness of the People of Israel”declared the president of Argentina, Javier Mileylast Friday, at the conclusion of his historic visit to Israel, according to what the general director and main emissary of Chabad Lubavitch in Argentina, Rabbi Tzvi Grünblatt, told the AJN Agency.
“I put the mezuzah so hard that to remove it they will have to remove the door,” the President added with a smile, in a farewell meeting with Rabbi Chaim Oirechman, an emissary of Chabad Lubavitch in Buenos Aires who traveled especially to Israel to accompany to the President on his special trip. With him was his father, Rabbi Moshe Oirechman, Chabad emissary in the Kraiot.
In this way, Milei became the first President in the world, outside of Israel, obviously, to place a mezuzah in a government house.
The only similar precedent is the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, who did the same in November 2021 at her residence, where she lives with her Jewish husband, Doug Emhoff.
Javier Milei in Israel
“The president was very moved by the last moments of his visit to Israel,” Rabbi Oirechman said. “He met with the prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu), the President (Itzchak Herzog) and other senior officials, but for him, on a personal level, it was a very uplifting spiritual visit.”
During the farewell meeting, minutes before the President left for the airport, from where he would take off back to Argentina, Rabbi Oirechman gave him a personal gift: a framed photograph of the Lubavitch Rebbe with an old Israeli fifty-shekel bill. which the Rebbe brought as a “blessing ticket,” Grünblatt recounted.
The Argentine President touched the Rebbe’s photograph and said: “I know him very well. I know him and feel him all the time. I hung his photograph in my office.”
Behind that phrase there is a deep connection that Milei feels with the Rebbe: he visited his tomb (the Ohel) before the presidential elections, and it was also the first place he chose to visit, a few days after his election.
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The gift was specially sent to him by Grünblatt and Chabad Youth President Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak Aharonov.
In addition to diplomatic meetings, Milei met with several rabbis during his visit and also visited the Western Wall on two occasions.
On his second visit, on Thursday, he participated in a noisy dance on the Western Wall esplanade with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, whose book The Path to a Meaningful Life, about the Rebbe’s teachings, is a major contributor to the knowledge of Milei about it.
Rabbi Jacobson was chosen by the President to be one of the people who accompanied him during his visit to Israel.
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During his visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, Milei spoke unequivocal words about Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We once again strongly and unequivocally condemn these atrocious acts and emphasize our solidarity and support for Israel,” said the Argentine President, with Herzog at his side throughout, “and once again we emphasize Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself.” “.
“We will continue to act to demand the release of all those kidnapped, regardless of their nationality. Of course, among the hostages there are Argentine citizens. This is a crime against humanity and must be amended,” Milei stressed.
“I want to finish by thanking you for the welcome and assuring you that in Argentina you have a President who is a true friend,” he concluded.