Retired Argentine General, Opposition Party and Locals Claim Israelis Caused Patagonia Wildfires
A large wildfire in Patagonia began on January 5, 2026 and was said to be intentional
A large wildfire in Patagonia began on January 5, 2026 and was said to be intentional. Argentine retired military general César Milani, alongside several key figures from the opposition, claimed that two Israelis used an IDF grenade to cause a wildfire in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina. In a post on the wildfires, Milani placed the blame on “a foreign state, pointed out by the locals themselves as responsible,” alongside a picture of Argentine President Javier Milei waving an Israeli flag. Opposition lawmaker Luis D’Elia posted this message: “The ‘Israelis’ are going around burning Patagonia.”
Milei announced the repeal of the law that bans the immediate sale of land affected by fire for agribusiness and real estate development. This kind of law exists in most countries as a necessary safeguard against business incentives to torch public lands. Although the repeal has not gone into effect yet, it recently passed committee in the Senate and continues to be a key element in the government’s plan for a massive fire sale of Patagonian lands.
According to reports, four other fires in Patagonia have been linked to Israelis.
Note: This video from the local area has not yet been independently authenticated. The cameraman becomes emotional and tells the man being filmed that it is forbidden to light a fire in the area.
From the Jerusalem Post:
Argentine retired military general César Milani, alongside several key figures from the opposition, shared an antisemitic conspiracy theory on Sunday claiming two Israelis used an IDF grenade to cause a wildfire in the Patagonia region of southern Argentina.
In a post on the wildfires, Milani placed the blame on “a foreign state, pointed out by the locals themselves as responsible,” alongside a picture of Argentine President Javier Milei waving an Israeli flag.
Waldo Wolff, one of Argentina’s Jewish community referents and deputy in the city of Buenos Aires legislature, called Milani “a coward,” claiming that he was trying to hide his antisemitism by not explicitly mentioning Israel.
Opposition lawmaker Luis D’Elia, who is also accused of being the link between Iran and the Argentine administration that gave impunity to the Iranian politicians accused of the bombing of the AMIA in 1994, posted: “The ‘Israelis’ are going around burning Patagonia. Listen to this kid.”
Opposition lawmaker Luis D’Elia, who is also accused of being the link between Iran and the Argentine administration that gave impunity to the Iranian politicians accused of the bombing of the AMIA in 1994, posted: “The ‘Israelis’ are going around burning Patagonia. Listen to this kid.”
False accusation against Israel leads to wildfire conspiracy fiasco
The false rumors about an Israeli involvement in the wildfires that are hitting the Patagonia region started on Saturday, when radio host Marcela Feudale stated during a live coverage that there were reports of two Israelis causing the fires.
She later went back on her statements, said she “didn’t aim to discriminate against anybody,” and apologized for using a mistaken source. She even shared a post by Meeretz Argentina and sociologist Kevin Ary Levin that explained “why it’s important to combat these dangerous theories.”
Some of the theories shared online claimed that an M26 grenade produced by Israel was found in Patagonia, in the context of the fires in the province of Chubut. Argentine fact-checking group Chequeado addressed the false claims, stating that the grenade was actually a model FMK2, produced by Fabricaciones Militares, as confirmed by the provincial government.
The wildfires that advanced across Chubut have already affected 3,500 hectares (35 square kilometers), with reports that rain in the area is helping efforts to extinguish the fires.
President Milei slammed the journalist, saying she is part of “the dark side of Argentina,” and added, “I don’t think it was a coincidence. They use Israel and the Jews to attack the government, and it got completely out of hand.”
Mauro Berenstein, president of the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), told Clarin, “Pointing without evidence to ‘two Israelis’ as responsible for the fires is irresponsible and dangerous. It generates stigmas, reinforces an anti-Jewish narrative, and hatred. The media have an enormous responsibility: a lie is not an opinion. From the DAIA, we will not allow it.”
Sabrina Ajmenchet, congresswoman in Milei’s party La Libertad Avanza in Argentina’s lower chamber, said: “It was exactly the same as those who accuse Israel of wanting to burn the forests to keep who-knows-what, or the government of having a macabre plan for Jews to control Patagonia. Would you have said ‘two Chileans,’ ‘two Uruguayans,’ ‘two Spaniards,’ or ‘two Australians’? No. You had an objective.”
Excerpt from The New Arab:
Argentina’s opposition accuses Israeli tourists of sparking Patagonia wildfires
The allegations followed a wave of testimonies aired by local Argentine media, featuring residents fleeing their homes near Chubut province. More than 3,000 people were evacuated as fires spread through the region, with several residents accusing Israeli tourists of lighting fires.
A video broadcast by Argentina’s A24 channel went viral over the weekend after it showed an interview with a woman displaced by the fires, who accused the government of “selling Patagonia to all the Israelis”.
The interview pointed to efforts by the Milei administration to repeal a forestry law that restricts foreign land purchases, a move that has sparked a legal and political debate over sovereignty and control of Argentina’s rural land.
Proposed changes would also lift restrictions on the sale of land immediately after it has been affected by fires, safeguards originally introduced to deter speculation and arson.
In a statement issued on Monday, however, the governor of Chubut confirmed that the fires were “sparked intentionally” and said authorities would “pursue matters so that those responsible answer before the law”.
The fires come as Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Argentina’s controversial plan to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been delayed, citing an alleged diplomatic dispute linked to oil exploration projects in the Falkland Islands valued at around $2bn.
Local woman featured on the news blamed Israelis for the fire.
This news post from Jan 8 on X reported that as fires rage through Patagonia, Javier Milei’s government cut 69% of the budget for the National Fire Management Service and that not a single air tanker has dropped extinguishing materials.
Interview with volunteer fireman:
According to reports, four other fires in Patagonia have been linked to Israelis:
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