STORY: In celebratory footage broadcast on Tuesday (April 21) President of Argentina Javier Milei lit one of the honorary torches during celebrations marking Israel's 78th Independence Day in Jerusalem.

Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, hours before a U.N. mandate in then British-ruled Palestine expired.

Palestinians mark 78th years of Nakba on May 15th, commemorating the loss of their land after the 1948 war at the birth of the state of Israel, when over 700,000 Palestinians forced to flee their homes or were displaced from their villages in what is now Israel, and became refugees in Arab countries.

Milei was on his third trip to Israel that is scheduled to last three days and end with his participation in the country's state Independence Day ceremony, Israeli media reported that his participation in the ceremony was recorded during the rehearsals before he departed.

Milei joined singers Lila Malkus and Hananel Edri in performing the Spanish song “Libre”.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI CELEBRATING ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE DAY, SINGING ON STAGE AND LIGHTING THE TORCH

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

EDITORS NOTE: THE FOOTAGE WAS BROADCAST ON APRIL 21, 2026 HOWEVER THE SHOW WAS PRERECORDED AT AN EARLIER DATE / CAPTIONS ADDED AT SOURCE

SHOWS: JERUSALEM (BROADCAST ON APRIL 21, 2026) (POOL- Access all / Music not cleared for use, please check with the applicable collecting society or relevant rights holders in your territory regarding clearance of any sound recordings)

1. ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI WALKING TOWARD PODIUM DURING ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS

2. ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND HIS WIFE SARA CLAPPING HANDS

3. VARIOUS OF ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI SINGING WITH SINGERS ON STAGE

4. ISRAELIS AND ARGENTINIAN FLAGS ON SCREEN

5. ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENT JAVIER MILEI LIGHTING THE HONORARY TORCH, THE REPRESENTOR SAYING IN (Hebrew) 12 TORCHES