Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for recognition of Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a day before Israel announced retaliatory measures against the UK over its sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
In a Spanish-language post on the social media platform X, Ben-Gvir wrote: “It's time for the State of Israel to publicly recognise that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation, which the British violently stole from the Argentine people.”
Ben-Gvir, who has a long history of inciting violence against and advocating the displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, added: “The British are not content with merely occupying the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal money from the Argentine people.”
“I call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and to impose sanctions on Great Britain as long as the occupation continues,” Ben-Gvir said, using the Argentine term for the Falkland Islands.
The long-running dispute between Argentina and the UK over the Falklands has recently returned to the spotlight, with Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei saying that he will step up efforts to restore “sovereignty” over the British-controlled islands amid questions over the strength of US support for the UK's position on the Falklands.
Milei also announced his intention to impose sanctions on oil companies operating in the Falkland Islands and strengthen Argentina’s military presence in nearby Tierra del Fuego.
However, the Israeli company Navitas is participating in an oil-drilling project near the Falklands in cooperation with the British company Rockhopper and could be affected by any Argentine sanctions on companies operating there.
Milei has been a staunch ally of Israel throughout its genocidal war on Gaza, visiting Jerusalem in April 2026 and opening Argentina's embassy there.
Israel on Tuesday said it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem and ban 12 British MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana and Hannah Spencer, from entering the country in response to UK sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
The UK announced the measures as part of coordinated action with France, Canada and other countries targeting Israel's illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.