Published On 5/18/2026
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Last update: 5/19/2026 02:41 (Mecca time)
The announcement of the Israeli company “El Al” has re-introduced tickets for its direct flights to Argentina for reservation during the month of May, highlighting the air line project linking Tel Aviv to the capital, Buenos Aires, which is scheduled to be launched in late November 2026 as the longest flight in the company’s history.
However, this project was not launched solely from commercial calculations, but was also linked to a political declaration. In a festive scene in occupied Jerusalem on April 20, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed his guest, Argentine President Javier Milley, describing the project as “the first direct line between the two countries.”
The scene was not limited to a bilateral welcome, but rather features of a remarkable political alignment emerged in the presence of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who jokingly said that he “would be the first to buy a ticket,” describing the two leaders as “President Donald Trump’s biggest friends.”
This presence and the statements that accompanied the announcement may indicate that the route was designed to carry political dimensions that go beyond the boundaries of civil aviation.
Political expansion in Latin America
This air route is inseparable from a broader political movement led by right-wing governments in Latin America to strengthen their relations with Israel, as its announcement came to practically translate the signing of the “Isaac Accords” by Netanyahu and Milley, which were inspired by the “Abraham Accords.”
This new framework establishes strategic cooperation that includes security coordination, combating “terrorism,” and developing the artificial intelligence sector, with countries such as Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Paraguay.
These efforts were led behind the scenes by the Argentine ambassador to Israel, Rabbi Axel Wanish, who described the project as an “administrative dream.”
Save time and government support
Currently, travelers between Israel and Argentina rely on transit flights through Europe (such as Madrid and Paris), and the journey takes between 21 and 33 hours.
As for the new direct line, it will reduce this time to about 16.5 hours one way and 15.5 hours back, covering a distance of more than 12,000 kilometers without stopping, using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Despite the growing demand – as data from the American technology company Sabre indicates that about 55,300 people will travel between the two countries in 2025 (an increase of 37% from 2024, but less than 71,200 in 2019) – this air route faces logistical obstacles, as Israeli planes are prohibited from flying over African countries such as Libya, forcing them to take an expensive detour across the Mediterranean and the Ocean. Atlantic.
Because of the economic risks of very long flights, the Israeli government took the unusual step of providing financial support to El Al amounting to 20 million shekels (about 5.4 million dollars distributed over 3 years) to ensure the continuation of the line.
Demographic stakes and trip context
The project’s economic success depends on attracting the Jewish community in Argentina, which is the largest in Latin America (estimates range between 180,000 and 300,000 people).
This line is the first of its kind between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires in particular, but it is not the first Israeli air connection with South America.
LATAM operated flights to Santiago and São Paulo until 2020, and El Al previously operated a line to São Paulo in 2008 that was later closed, in addition to a code-share agreement with the Argentine airline in 2017 that did not lead to regular flights.
Historical symbolism: the 1960 plane and the kidnapping of Eichmann
In addition to commercial calculations, El Al’s flight to Buenos Aires carries historical symbolism for Israelis dating back to 1960. On May 20 of that year, the Mossad took advantage of an official El Al flight to smuggle former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann after his kidnapping.
Eichmann was brought onto the plane disguised as a crew member, and taken to Israel to be tried and executed.
This flight is one of El Al’s most famous flights to Argentina, which gives the new line a historical dimension in Israeli memory.
Economic reservations and constitutional opposition
This political celebration did not prevent criticism. In Israel, press reports indicated that the Ministry of Transportation had reservations about withdrawing Dreamliner aircraft from profitable airlines (such as the United States), warning that reducing the supply would raise ticket prices for Israelis traveling to America.
As for Argentina, President Javier Milley faced opposition, as leftist Congresswoman Miriam Bregman accused the government of plunging the country into an “imperialist war” without an institutional mandate. She warned that crucial decisions must pass through Parliament, otherwise they will be considered a violation of the Constitution.
The Patagonia crisis and concerns about prosecution
In the Latin arena, other readings and criticisms of the project were put forward, as some analysts considered that the line conceals security and political goals that primarily concern Israel.
Brazilian writer and influencer Diego Gozarin believed that the announcement of the project comes within a comprehensive plan that aims primarily to secure the travel of Israelis without the hassle of being subjected to security interrogations at international airports, and the risk of being arrested in the case of those affiliated with the Israeli army and involved in carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinian people.
Popularly, Israeli tourism arouses increasing sensitivity in southern Argentina, and local residents and activists accuse Israeli tourists (many of whom are demobilized soldiers) of causing huge fires in Patagonia’s natural reserves as a result of negligence.
The most recent was a fire in January 2026 that consumed 77,000 hectares and led to the arrest of an Israeli tourist.
Between the Isaac political agreements, the Israeli government support for the line, and the constitutional and popular objections in Argentina; The “Tel Aviv – Buenos Aires” line project goes beyond mere commercial aviation, to become a file that combines diplomacy, security, and complex history between the two sides.
