Yesha Council chief links Malvinas dispute to West Bank sanctions

Israel Ganz, the chairman of the Binyamin Regional Council and the Yesha Council, met with Argentine President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada this week. The meeting was the third between the two men, though it marked the first time they held a formal session at the seat of Argentina's government. Ganz is currently on a diplomatic tour of South America aimed at finding new international partners to counter boycotts and sanctions targeting the West Bank settlements.

The core of the discussion connected the long-standing dispute over the Malvinas Islands to the recent sanctions imposed on Israel. Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the islands, which the United Kingdom controls, for decades. Ganz argued that the same European powers dictating territory in the region should be consistent in their approach to both locations. He specifically referenced the 1939 British White Paper, a document that restricted Jewish immigration to Mandatory Palestine, as part of his argument against British influence.

"Britain must be cut down to size," Ganz said during the meeting. "The days of the White Paper and British imperialism are over." He urged European nations to stop controlling the sovereign territory of other countries. Ganz called on Britain to end its occupation of the Malvinas Islands and cancel what he described as shameful sanctions on Judea and Samaria, the biblical name for the West Bank.

The meeting lasted one hour and was arranged by Rabbi Richard Kaufman, a personal friend of Milei. Ganz's associates described the atmosphere as warm and productive. The two leaders agreed to strengthen their ties, and Ganz extended an invitation for Milei to make a state visit to Binyamin and the West Bank. This follows a series of coordinated sanctions announced in June by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and Norway.

Those European and Pacific nations targeted networks they accused of financing and carrying out settler violence. The United Kingdom specifically targeted six entities and one individual. Ganz used his platform to call on other nations to recognize the right of Israel to Judea and Samaria. He stated that the Jewish people are not foreigners in the region and that no sanction will erase that bond.

Speaking outside the Casa Rosada after the meeting, Ganz described the encounter as historic. He thanked Milei for his warm welcome and his stand alongside Israel. Ganz said he came to Milei with a clear request to recognize Judea and Samaria as part of the Land of Israel. He added that against boycotts, the settlements will open markets, and against sanctions, they will recruit partners to continue building and growing.