Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico; The First Trip of an Israeli Prime Minister to South America

Benjamin Netanyahu, as the first Israeli Prime Minister in the past seventy years, will travel to three Latin American countries; Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico starting from the evening of Sunday, September 10. Israeli media have reported that despite the powerful earthquake last Friday in Mexico, which caused heavy casualties and damage, Netanyahu's trip to that country will proceed as previously planned. Meanwhile, according to Israel Hayom, although the Israeli Prime Minister will not visit Paraguay during this trip, the President of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes, will personally travel to Buenos Aires to meet with Mr. Netanyahu. Israeli media have reported that during this 'historic trip,' which includes a delegation of thirty major Israeli businessmen and industrialists, the signing of a series of economic, energy, scientific, water, and agricultural agreements between Israel and the three Latin American countries is on the agenda. Mr. Netanyahu's trip to Latin America will begin on the morning of Monday, September 11, with his presence in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, where he will first attend a memorial ceremony for the victims of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. Israel has always considered Iran to be behind the explosion 25 years ago at its embassy, although Argentina has not officially accused Iran of this bombing. Israel also accuses Iran of the bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association; an accusation that Iran has continuously denied since 1994, but Argentina and Interpol have issued arrest warrants for several Iranian officials related to this case. In the bombing 23 years ago at the AMIA Jewish community center, 84 people were killed, and over 300 were injured, and the seven-story building of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association was destroyed. The Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the site where the AMIA building stood, which has now been rebuilt. Israel and the 350,000-strong Jewish community in Argentina have always urged the country's institutions to show more seriousness in conducting investigations and finding the perpetrators of this bombing. However, the suspicious death of Judge Alberto Nisman, the chief investigator of this bombing case, who was also Jewish, added to the ambiguities surrounding the case a year and nine months ago. Mr. Netanyahu is traveling to Argentina while the country's President, Mauricio Macri, has strengthened relations with Israel to forget the tense period of relations between the two countries during the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. According to the Israeli website Walla.net, considering the secret lives of some Nazi leaders in Argentina at the end of World War II, Israel and Argentina will agree to exchange historical documents related to the Nazis and the Holocaust during Netanyahu's visit to Buenos Aires. Mr. Netanyahu, in addition to meeting with Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia in Bogotá, and Enrique Peña Nieto, the President of Mexico in Mexico City, will also discuss with the leaders of the Jewish communities in both countries. Israel has been displeased with the strengthening of Iran's relations with several Latin American countries such as Venezuela and Bolivia during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, especially since Venezuela, influenced by its friendship with Iran, severed its long-standing relations with Israel. During Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's presidency in Argentina, the country's policies also leaned somewhat towards Iran, but Argentina's internal political crises and the rise of Mauricio Macri in the country tipped the balance of Buenos Aires' relations back towards the United States and Israel. After the trip to Latin America, Benjamin Netanyahu will go to New York for a speech at the United Nations General Assembly and a meeting with Donald Trump, the President of the United States. Mr. Netanyahu's speech will take place on the first day of the opening of the UN General Assembly, Tuesday, September 19, corresponding to September 28. Mr. Netanyahu has previously stated that in his meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, as well as in his speech at this institution, he will emphasize his government's positions regarding Iran. Haaretz reported last week that the Israeli Prime Minister will explain Israel's stance against the JCPOA, the global nuclear agreement with Iran, and also the danger of 'Iran's military presence in Syria' to world leaders.