Grapevine, April 24, 2026: Israel loves Milei!

Honoring the armed forces and seeing some of them and their families in their multitudes smiling, waving flags, and jumping up and down with joy was a great national morale booster for all those who watched the ceremony on television.

Milei was not the only torchlighter cheered by the crowd. So were the other torchlighters, especially Ari Spitz, the soldier who was severely wounded in battle in Gaza, lost both legs and an arm, but came walking onto the stage with a big smile on his face. Spitz is the personification of Israeli resilience. Ora Hatan, the super-patriotic resident of the North who refused to be evacuated, who for years has been cooking meals for soldiers, and whose earthy humor is infectious, was also cheered throughout her speech of dedication, as were other torchlighters.

The deep interest that Milei has in Judaism is well known, but was emphasized more than once during his visit to Israel this week. His visits to the Western Wall in Jerusalem were the most obvious, but so were the invited guests to the ceremony at which he received the Medal of Honor from President Isaac Herzog.

The lecture that he gave after the formalities was on economics, a subject on which he is an internationally recognized genius. Golan, who has a degree in sociology, sat entranced throughout the lecture. “I learned so much,” she said afterwards.

Now that Israel has been a signatory to the Abraham Accords and the Isaac Accords, the question remains as to which countries will sign the Jacob Accords. After all, even though there are Christians and Jews in most Asian countries, the majority populations practice other faiths that are not rooted in the Bible. Then again, the next lot of countries to join in the new era of peace and cooperation may be the member states of the EU or NATO. As US President Donald Trump likes to say: “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Both the traditional and social American media are crowded with anti-Trump articles and comments prior to the annual White House correspondents’ dinner this coming Saturday. Trump, who, during both presidencies, has previously declined invitations to the dinner, accepted the invitation this year, and faces stern criticism even before he dons his black tuxedo and bow tie.

Trump has a love-hate relationship with the media. Frequently critical and often rude to and about specific journalists, he nonetheless gives regular press conferences and is interviewed every week by broadcast and print media representatives. Over the years, White House correspondents have chastised themselves for their hypocrisy in attending a dinner with the man whom they so frequently berate in their respective media outlets, but nonetheless, they continue to attend.

This year – the very year that Trump finally deigns to grace the dinner with his presence, several journalists and publications are backing out – among them the Huffington Post, whose editor Whitney Snyder wrote that after attending for 17 years, his publication is skipping this year’s dinner because “we cannot stomach it.”

He has always had misgivings about journalists celebrating with the very people they were supposed to hold accountable, but attended in the past because the purpose of the dinner was to honor journalism and the value of a free press. During his present term, Trump has threatened to imprison journalists, has punished publications that have exercised the First Amendment, and has resorted to intimidating journalists.

Other well-known journalists, such as Dan Rather, and even Tucker Carlson, who is now distancing himself from Trump, find it improper and embarrassing for people who are dedicated to a free press to toast it with a man who allegedly wants to stifle it and destroy it.

Hundreds of veteran journalists and press associations have urged the Association of White House correspondents to issue a statement at the dinner condemning Trump’s ferocious attacks on the media. Here in Israel, journalists are also being reviled by politicians in power.

On the other hand, so much praise was heaped on Trump, who is one of the very few non-Israelis to be awarded the Israel Prize, that it arguably outweighed anything negative that was said or written against him. It’s just a pity that he doesn’t understand Hebrew. The translation, however good, will not be quite the same. He will receive the award in the near future – either when Netanyahu, who nominated him, next visits the United States, or if Trump pays another visit to Israel. If he chooses to receive the prize here, Israel will outdo itself in a display of pomp and ceremony.

Israel Independence Day brings out the best in people. Education Minister Yoav Kisch appeared to share the triumph of each of the Israel Prize laureates, embraced some of them, and got into the most awkward positions to be photographed with laureates who were much shorter than him or in wheelchairs. It was also heartening to see that even though Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has been extremely discourteous to Chief Justice Isaac Amit, he sat at the same table with him at the prize-giving ceremony.

For years, it has been impossible from early morning on Independence Day to find a parking spot in Jerusalem in the area surrounding the President’s Residence and the Jerusalem Theatre, which is accessible from the rear entrance of the residence. The residence was the venue for the main Independence Day ceremony honoring 120 soldiers from all three branches of the Israel Defense Forces, and the Jerusalem Theatre was the venue for the annual Bible Quiz, which was initially conceived by the president’s late mother, Aura Herzog. But this year, even though there were a lot of cars parked in the area, it was still possible to find a parking spot because the main ceremony had been pre-recorded.

That was not the only break with tradition. Almost everything associated with Independence Day was different this year. Last year, Herzog introduced a tradition of his own. Invitees to the reception for foreign diplomats and non-Jewish religious leaders used to sit in long rows of chairs beneath a marquee in the garden.

Last year, a coffee shop atmosphere was introduced with mostly small tables and chairs of varying heights to accommodate guests of various heights. There were also upholstered sofas and lounge chairs. This year, there were several buffets of delicious cheeses, sweet and savory pastries, breads, ice creams, and wines from local producers, obviously designed to promote Made in Israel.

Most of the products came from the Western Galilee, where businesses have suffered severe economic distress. It was obvious that all the products were palate-pleasers, because they were available for approximately two hours before the formalities, and again after the event was officially over, and many guests lingered for second and third helpings.

None of the major Independence Day events is lacking in musical entertainment, and the reception for diplomats was no exception. However, since the speeches were devoted to Iran and Lebanon, plus a reference to the war in Gaza, there was also a relationship to at least two of these places in the entertainment.

First, there was Liraz Charhi, an Israeli actress and singer of Iranian parentage. Charhi has collaborated in secret with Iranian musicians and singers, and her own repertoire includes Iranian music. She dreams of the day when it will be possible to visit Iran with her parents.