On October 24 local time, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered Israel to support Argentina on the issue of the Malvinas Islands (commonly known as the Falkland Islands), as a form of 'retribution' for the sanctions imposed by Britain against settlements in the West Bank.
On the same day, Alex Gnderle, a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in the UK, posted a statement on the X platform in response to this report: "I absolutely deny this claim; there is no such directive."
According to The Daily Telegraph, Netanyahu told Israeli diplomats that Israel should change its official stance, support Argentina in negotiations regarding the Falkland Islands, and recognize Argentina’s historical ties with the region.
The report mentioned that Netanyahu has a close relationship with Argentine President Mauricio Macri. After British Foreign Secretary William Hague decided to impose economic sanctions on West Bank settlements last month, Netanyahu changed his position.
Although this stance shift did not formally support Argentina's claim to the Malvinas, it would raise concerns that further sanctions on British settlements might force Israel to side with Argentina. The report states.
According to the Israeli i24 news website, after the UK imposed sanctions on West Bank settlements last month, Israel retaliated by expelling most of the staff from the British Consulate in Jerusalem.
After the UK announced sanctions against settlements, Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gurion publicly urged Netanyahu to recognize Argentina's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and impose sanctions on the UK last month.
Argentina and the United Kingdom have a dispute over sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. In April 1982, a war broke out between Argentina and the UK over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, ending in a British victory. After losing the war, Argentina never gave up its claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, while the UK refused to negotiate on the issue of sovereignty over the islands.
