The President of Argentina concluded his visit to Israel with great excitement when, in the last moments before boarding the plane, he received a rare fifty Shekel bill from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, flew from Israel to Rome and concluded his visit with a special farewell meeting with Rabbi Chaim Oirechman, Chabad Shliach in Buenos Aires who came especially to Israel, to be by the president’s side on his special journey.
The President was very moved by the last moments of his visit to Israel in which he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Yitzchak Herzog and other senior government officials, but there is no doubt that for him, on a personal level, it was also a very uplifting spiritual visit.
During the farewell meeting, minutes before the president left for the airport, from where he departed for Argentina, Rabbi Oirechman presented him with a personal gift: a framed photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe with an old Israeli fifty shekel bill – which he had brought as a ‘blessing note’ when he was the rabbi.
The letter was specially sent by the Head Shliach of Chabad in Argentina, Rabbi Tzvi Grunblatt, and the chairman of Tzeirei Chabad of Israel, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Aharonov.
After receiving the Rebbe’s Israeli banknote, the president excitedly told that he also had an American dollar from the Rebbe, which he received through his friend Danny Benayon in New York during his visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel in New York.
The Argentinian president touched the Rebbe’s picture and said: “I know him very well, know him and feel him all the time, I have his picture hanging in my office.” Milei related about the deep connection that he feels to Rebbe, which is evidenced by his multiple visits to the Rebbe’s Ohel gravesite before the presidential election, and it was also the first place he chose to visit a few days after his dramatic victory.
Along with Milei’s diplomatic meetings in Israel, he met various rabbis during his visit and also visited the Western Wall twice. On his second visit to the Kotel he broke into a lively dance on the Western Wall plaza with Rabbi Simon Jacobson, whose book ‘Toward a Meaningful Life’ from the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Torah was one of the main factors in Milei’s acquaintance with the Rebbe’s Torah. Rabbi Jacobson was chosen by the president to be one of the individuals to accompany him throughout his visit to Israel.
Milei’s visit received wide coverage in Argentina. During Milei’s visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, he uttered unequivocal words about Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We condemn once again, strongly and unequivocally, these heinous acts and re-emphasize our solidarity and support for Israel,” said the Argentine president, with President Yitzchak Herzog standing by his side. “Once again we will emphasize Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense. We will continue to act in order to demand further down the road the release of all the kidnapped, regardless of their nationality. Of course, there are also Argentine citizens among the hostages, and this is a crime against humanity. This must be corrected,” Milei stressed.
“I want to end by thanking you for the welcome, and assuring you that in Argentina, you have a president who is your true friend. Thank you.”
