Milei and CFK's conviction: 'I'm the first president who doesn't interfere with the judiciary.'

As part of his official tour of Israel, President Javier Milei publicly addressed for the first time the ruling that confirmed the conviction against Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for her connection to Lázaro Báez's business dealings in Santa Cruz. In a spontaneous intervention during his presentation at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the president emphasized that the current judicial progress is the result of an independent judiciary.

"I'm the first president who doesn't interfere with the judiciary, and the results are clear to see",Milei stated before an auditorium filled with students. Immediately afterward, he affirmed: "All the credit goes to the Judiciary, to the Supreme Court. The only thing I did was let the judges act freely."

An implicit reference to the past

Although Milei avoided directly naming former presidents,  his statement can be read as a contrast with previous administrations that were accused of attempting to influence sensitive judicial cases. The phrase also reinforces the official narrative that his government represents a break with traditional political practices.

From Jerusalem, the head of state closely followed the Supreme Court's decision, although he remained publicly silent until midnight. Then, he chose to express himself on his social network X with a brief: "Justice. End." A communication style associated with his spokesperson, Manuel Adorni.

Cristina Kirchner and the shadow of the memorandum with Iran

References to CFK were not limited to the judicial sphere. In Israel, her figure still generates rejection due to the memorandum she signed with Iran during her presidency to close the AMIA case, as well as her attitude regarding the murder of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who had accused her of cover-up.

In addition, there is ongoing discontent over the lack of a categorical statement from the former president regarding the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.  That perception was noted by the Genesis Prize Foundation, which awarded Milei the so-called "Jewish Nobel."

David Hatchwell, a representative of the Foundation, highlighted during the ceremony Milei's firm stance against Hamas and Hezbollah, his diplomatic alignment with Israel and the United States at the United Nations, and his commitment to securing the release of Argentine hostages held in Gaza.

A political gesture to Israel

Milei himself expressed his gratitude for the recognition by evoking Jorge Luis Borges: "If we belong to Western civilization, then all of us, despite the many adventures of blood, are Greeks and Jews. I'm not Jewish, but that doesn't prevent me from feeling the history of the Jewish people as my own."

Beyond the symbolic, the political gesture toward Israel will be consolidated with the signing of the Memorandum of Democracy and Freedom, a bilateral agreement that he will sign today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the King David Hotel. The document was drafted by Ambassador Axel Wahnish, under Milei's direct supervision.

This memorandum stands in contrast, at least symbolically, to the controversial agreement with Iran promoted by Cristina Kirchner in 2013. The choice of that term—"memorandum"—appears as a direct and critical response to that decision by the former president.

Final stop: Madrid

After the ceremony with Netanyahu, the president will depart from Ben Gurion Airport for Madrid, where he will conclude his international tour. In the Spanish capital, he is scheduled to continue with high-level political and economic meetings before returning to Argentina.