Report says Netanyahu ordered change to Israel’s position on Falklands; FM denies shift

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Israeli diplomats to change Jerusalem’s official position over the Falkland Islands, the UK’s The Telegraph reported Saturday amid Israel’s deteriorating relations with the United Kingdom. The Israeli embassy in London denied the report.

According to The Telegraph, which cited anonymous sources, Netanyahu ordered Israeli diplomats to back Argentina’s call for direct talks with Britain over the territory.

Argentina, under President Javier Milei, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters, maintains its longstanding claim to sovereignty over the islands. The two countries fought a 1982 war over the islands.

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The Telegraph reported that the shift stopped short, however, of formally endorsing Argentina’s sovereignty claim. The Falkland Islands are officially a British overseas territory, although Argentina claims that it, not the UK, has sovereignty over the islands, which it refers to as Islas Malvinas.

The paper reported the change came amid Israeli anger over British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband’s decision last month to impose economic sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

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However, Alex Gandler, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Britain, denied the report. “I categorically deny this allegation. No such directive exists,” he wrote on X.

An Israeli official told The Telegraph that the shift in Israel’s position on the Falklands was linked to Britain’s increasingly strident criticism of Israel.

At the time, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar lambasted Milband’s sanctions, calling them “antisemitic” and “morally distorted,” and announced several countermeasures, including the closure of the UK’s consulate in Jerusalem serving Palestinians.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also called on Netanyahu to recognize Argentine sovereignty over the Falklands in retaliation for British sanctions.

The Telegraph noted a recent speech made by Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, where he said “Israel recognizes the importance that the Argentine public attaches to this issue,” and said that “progress on this matter must be achieved while taking into consideration the full spectrum of relevant historical, legal and human aspects.”

According to The Telegraph, the wording of that statement acknowledged Argentina’s claim to the islands and marked a significant shift in Israel’s stance on the issue.

“The wording of the statement itself got approved at the highest ranks of the Israeli government,” one source told the UK paper. “This is the first time Israel has got involved in this conflict.”

An Israeli official told The Telegraph that the change should also be viewed in the context of Israel’s close relationship with Argentina under Milei – a vocal supporter of Israel. Milei attended the annual state Independence Day ceremony in April, during which he lit a ceremonial torch.

Britain considers calls for direct negotiations over the islands’ sovereignty provocative because it has long held that talks should take place only with the consent of islanders, according to The Telegraph. In a 2013 referendum, islanders overwhelmingly voted to remain a British overseas territory.

The report sparked anger among the far-right in the UK, which has been largely sympathetic to Israel.

British lawmaker Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right Restore Britain party, criticized the reported change in Israel’s position on social media.

“Why should Britain be expected to defend Israel’s national interests if Israel’s leadership refuses to respect ours? Britain is not obliged to give any foreign government unconditional political or military support,” he wrote.

It also came amid anger in Buenos Aires over the Israeli-owned Navitas Petroleum company’s plans to carry out offshore drilling in the Falkland Islands, expected to begin in 2028.

Israel has said that the government is not involved in, and has no control over, Navitas’s operations, given that it is a public company, and has said that Argentina under Milei “is one of Israel’s best and closest friends, and there is ongoing and close contact between the leadership of Israel and Argentina.”

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