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Baseless claims blaming Israelis for the devastating wildfires that recently broke out in southern Argentina ignited a wave of antisemitic rhetoric across political and media circles, prompting sharp condemnation from Jewish leaders and government officials.
As wildfires tore through the Patagonia region, consuming roughly 35 square kilometers in the province of Chubut, a conspiracy theory gained traction online on Sunday. The claim alleged that two Israelis deliberately started the fires using an Israeli military grenade.
Among those amplifying the accusation was Cesar Milani, the former deputy chief of the Argentine Army. Without naming Israel directly, Milani implied that a “foreign state,” supposedly identified by locals, was responsible — while pairing the claim with an image of Argentine President Javier Milei waving an Israeli flag.
Arde nuestra Patagonia Argentina:
Un Estado intencionalmente ausente.
Nuevas leyes que habilitan la libre compra de tierras por parte de extranjeros y actividades económicas sobre zonas incendiadas.
Un Estado extranjero, señalado por los propios lugareños como responsable.
Un… pic.twitter.com/iNBaNIo82a— César Milani (@GeneralMilani) January 11, 2026
Waldo Wolff, a Jewish communal leader and local legislator in Buenos Aires, condemned Milani’s post as cowardly. He argued that the insinuation relied on antisemitic tropes while avoiding explicit language to maintain plausible deniability.
The narrative escalated when opposition activist Luis D’Elía posted online that “the Israelis” were burning Patagonia. D’Elía has previously faced accusations of acting as an intermediary between Iran and Argentine officials tied to the 1994 AMIA bombing case — a Tehran regime-orchestrated attack that killed 85 people at the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
The rumor first surfaced publicly on Saturday during a live broadcast by radio host Marcela Feudale, who cited unverified reports of Israeli involvement.
After widespread backlash, Feudale retracted the statement, apologized, and said she never intended to single out any group. She later shared a post underscoring the dangers of conspiracy theories.
Online posts also circulated images claiming an Israeli-made M26 grenade had been found at a fire site. Argentina’s fact-checking organization Chequeado debunked the claim, confirming that the device was actually an FMK-2 grenade manufactured by Fabricaciones Militares. Provincial authorities backed that conclusion.
President Milei responded forcefully, accusing those spreading the claims of exploiting Jews and Israel to attack his administration. “I don’t think it was a coincidence,” he said. “They use Israel and the Jews to attack the government, and it got completely out of hand.”
Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Director of Hispanic Affairs Shay Salamon said, “With the fires in Patagonia, we’ve seen the resurgence of antisemitic conspiracy theories and how various media outlets have published and amplified them without any evidence. In 2026, this isn’t journalism — it’s dangerous disinformation that demands public accountability.”
He added, “The so-called ‘Andinia theory,’ created in the 19th century and now recycled by various ideological extremes, has no factual basis whatsoever — there are no massive land purchases by Israelis, the Jewish community in Patagonia is small, and Argentina is a state governed by the rule of law with clear laws regulating land ownership.”
“The dissemination of false accusations linking Israeli citizens or backpackers to arson is particularly serious,” Salamon noted. “This type of narrative doesn’t explain tragedies: it exploits them to point to scapegoats and fuel hatred.”
“I appreciate the immediate and forceful reaction of President Milei, who publicly condemned these unfounded accusations. We stand with the victims of the fires and with all the affected communities. Combating disinformation and antisemitism is not optional — it is a democratic responsibility,” he concluded.
“Con los incendios en la Patagonia hemos visto el resurgir de teorías conspirativas antisemitas y cómo diversos medios las han publicado y amplificado sin evidencia alguna. En 2026, esto no es periodismo: es desinformación peligrosa que exige responsabilidad pública.
La llamada… pic.twitter.com/MNflsXmKAM
— CAM en Español (@CAMenEspanol) January 13, 2026
Mauro Berenstein, president of the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), said that accusing “two Israelis” without evidence was “irresponsible and dangerous.” He stressed that such claims fuel stigma and hatred, adding, “A lie is not an opinion.”
Sabrina Ajmechet — a Chamber of Deputies lawmaker from Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, and a member of CAM’s Latin American Legislators Against Antisemitism group — said the accusation revealed clear intent. She noted that no one would casually blame “two Spaniards” or “two Australians,” underscoring the antisemitic double standard at play.
Similar manifestations of antisemitism were observed following the outbreak of wildfires in Los Angeles, California, a year ago.
