February 26, 2025, New York, NY – We commend Argentine politicians and citizens for their bold and deeply symbolic proposal to rename Palestine Street in Buenos Aires to Bibas Family Street. This emotionally charged and politically significant gesture honors the brutal abduction and murder of Argentine-Israeli mother Shiri Bibas and her babies, 9-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel—a crime that shook the world.
With this proposal, Argentina is setting a global example of how to respond decisively to terrorism of October 7’s magnitude. But this is also about Argentina’s own history of terror attacks against its Jewish community—the largest in South America—spanning three decades. It is only fitting that Argentine leaders take a stand that commands global attention and declares enough is enough.
Argentina, Israel, and the U.S. share common enemies in Hezbollah and Iran, the perpetrators of Argentina’s deadliest terrorist attack—the 1994 AMIA Jewish center bombing in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people and injured 300. Now, the same forces played a role in Hamas’s massacre of an Argentine-Israeli family.
Beyond honoring the Bibas family, revoking the name Palestine Street carries a deeper political message. As Deputy Mayor Yamil Santoro explained, Palestinian leaders have allowed terrorist groups like Hamas to hijack their national identity. “I don’t think Buenos Aires should be recognizing such an entity,” Santoro stated.
For taking this stand, Argentine leaders have faced threats and intimidation. The American Jewish Congress commends Deputy Mayor Santoro and Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri for their unwavering support for Israel despite these pressures. Mayor Macri joined the American Jewish Congress at the International Mayors Conference in Jerusalem in 2019. His cousin, former President Mauricio Macri, worked closely with American Jewish Congress Chairman Jack Rosen to strengthen Argentina’s ties with Israel and the United States.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei declared a national day of mourning for the Bibas babies, further cementing his status as one of Israel’s staunchest allies. He became the first Argentine head of state to visit Israel during wartime, making it his first official trip since taking office. While there, he pledged to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem. His unwavering stance against terrorism and steadfast support for the Jewish people send a powerful message: Argentina will not stand silent in the face of atrocities.
As Buenos Aires prepares for its March 1 debate on the name change, we urge all officials—regardless of political stance—to use this moment to honor the memory of Shiri Bibas and her babies. This is an opportunity to send a clear message: the world condemns the atrocities of October 7, and no cause can justify the massacre of innocent women, babies, and the elderly.
