Ben Gvir calls on Israel to recognise the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory
Israel’s national security minister accuses Britain of occupying the archipelago
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has called on his country to publicly recognise Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, and impose sanctions on the United Kingdom. He addressed the request to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a post on X.
“It is time for the State of Israel to publicly recognise that the Malvinas Islands are occupied Argentine territory, which the British are violently stealing from the Argentine people,” Ben Gvir said.
Es hora de que el Estado de Israel reconozca públicamente que las Islas Malvinas son territorio argentino ocupado, que los británicos le roban violentamente al pueblo argentino. Los británicos no solo se conforman con ocupar el territorio, sino que también realizan allí…
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) September 7, 2026
The minister also criticised oil exploration in the archipelago, linking it to his accusations against London. “The British are not content merely to occupy the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal money from the Argentine people,” he stated.
In the same message, Ben Gvir urged Netanyahu to translate this position into diplomatic and economic measures. “I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognise Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and impose sanctions on Great Britain for as long as the occupation continues,” he said.
The request represents the minister’s position and does not, in itself, constitute official Israeli recognition of Argentine sovereignty over the islands.
Donald Trump has said that the United States’ position on the Falkland Islands is under review, amid pressure on the United Kingdom to increase military spending. According to the BBC, citing reporting by The Daily Telegraph, Washington is considering opposing British sovereignty over the archipelago as one possible measure to press NATO allies to meet their defence commitments.
London has reiterated that the islanders have the right to determine their own future and reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the islands as a British Overseas Territory. Argentine President Javier Milei has highlighted the significance of Trump’s remarks for Argentina’s sovereignty claim.
Until now, the United States has recognised Britain’s de facto administration of the islands without taking an official position on sovereignty. Trump’s remarks do not yet represent a formal change in that policy.
