Israeli ministers taunt England and revel in Argentina's World Cup win
Israeli ministers, including UK-sanctioned Smotrich and Ben Gvir, celebrated Argentina's World Cup semi-final win over England on social media, using the moment to taunt Britain.
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Senior Israeli politicians used Argentina's semi-final victory to mock Britain, with sanctioned ministers Smotrich and Ben Gvir leading the taunts, while Foreign Minister Sa'ar, who has Argentine roots, joined in celebrating what he called Argentina's 'coming home.'
Some Israeli politicians celebrated on social media when Argentina beat England in a big soccer game. A couple of those politicians are not allowed to visit England because England says they have been unkind to Palestinian people, so they used the soccer match to make fun of England. Other Israeli leaders, including the foreign minister whose family is from Argentina, also cheered for the win.
Analysis
Sanctioned Ministers Take the Pitch
The loudest voices on X belonged to the two Israeli ministers the UK sanctioned in 2024. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, barred from entering Britain, posted moments after the final whistle: "I indeed cannot enter Britain because I am exterminating the idea of the Palestinian state, but two goals got in nicely," mocking the two late goals England conceded. His far-right colleague, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, wrote: "Honour to whom honour is due, and now with faith toward the final," after earlier telling followers he was praying for an Argentine win. Both men were sanctioned by then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy for what London described as incitement of extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. The taunts land at a moment when Israel is on the defensive internationally over its war in Gaza, and they reinforce an image of sanctioned officials thumbing their noses at Western capitals that have tried to hold them accountable.
Latin American Alignments Beyond the Pitch
The celebration was not confined to the UK-sanctioned pair. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who has Argentinian roots, riffed on the famous England anthem with a sarcastic twist: "'It's coming home.' Yes, it is. It's coming home to Argentina." Sa'ar is in the United States for meetings with Latin American allies and, according to a foreign ministry statement, sat down with counterparts from Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay to discuss "the profound changes taking place across Latin America." The Israeli government views Argentine President Javier Milei and other right-wing Latin American leaders as natural partners, a posture evident in the simultaneous announcement that Israel and Colombia's incoming government had agreed to restore diplomatic relations after years of strain over the war in Gaza. Transport Minister Miri Regev joined in too, congratulating "my friend President Javier Milei" ahead of a final against Spain, one of Israel's most outspoken European critics.
Refereeing Controversy and Arab Frustration
The Argentine run to a second successive World Cup final has, according to Middle East Eye, fuelled accusations in the Arab world that Fifa has favoured the South American side. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accused football's governing body of wanting Argentina to progress for "marketing" reasons after his side's last-16 defeat, triggering a wave of criticism online. With Spain awaiting in the final and refereeing decisions under sustained scrutiny, the political backdrop of this tournament now extends well beyond the touchline, blending sporting grievance with the wider geopolitical tensions that the Israeli ministers so visibly exploited.
Key points
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, both UK-sanctioned, used Argentina's semi-final win over England to taunt Britain on social media
- Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who has Argentinian roots, joined the celebrations and met Latin American counterparts in the US during the tournament
- Israel views Argentine President Javier Milei and other right-wing Latin American leaders as natural allies, with Israel and Colombia agreeing to restore diplomatic ties
- Sunday's World Cup final pits Argentina against Spain, one of Israel's most outspoken European critics
- Argentina's run has fuelled accusations from the Arab world, including Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, that Fifa has favoured the South American side for marketing reasons
The public taunting of Britain by sanctioned Israeli ministers risks further inflaming already tense UK-Israel relations and could harden European support for tougher measures against Israeli officials. Combined with accusations from the Arab world that Fifa is favouring Argentina, the episode may deepen perceptions that international institutions are politically compromised, feeding cynicism ahead of the final against Spain.
