Milei invokes Torah at Davos, linking freedom, Israel, and capitalism against oppressive global statism.
Argentine President Javier Milei delivered an unexpected and striking biblical reflection at the World Economic Forum in Davos, invoking the weekly Torah portion Parashat Bo to issue a warning to the modern West about the dangers of unchecked state power.
Concluding a speech that forcefully defended free-market capitalism and hailed the United States as a “beacon of light” for Western civilization, Milei pivoted to Jewish scripture. He described Pharaoh as the archetype of oppressive government and framed the Exodus narrative as a timeless lesson in liberty.
“Parashat Bo describes the moment when Moses confronts Pharaoh, a symbol of the oppressive power of the state,” Milei said. He outlined the escalating plagues—locusts as famine, darkness as moral and intellectual confusion, and the death of the firstborn as the inevitable collapse of a society that denies freedom. “The analogy to what is happening today in the West is strikingly clear,” he added, drawing applause.
Milei’s remarks are consistent with his outspoken support for Israel and the Jewish people. In 2024, he revealed Jewish heritage in his family history, noting his grandfather learned of his Jewish roots late in life. During his campaign, Milei pledged that his first official foreign visit as president would be to Israel—a promise he fulfilled.
Last year, Milei received the Genesis Prize, honoring his steadfast backing of Israel at a time when many governments have equivocated. In November, he hosted Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires. At the meeting’s outset, Sa’ar recited the Shehecheyanu blessing to mark Milei’s election and parliamentary victory; Milei donned a kippah in a gesture that resonated deeply with Jewish communities worldwide.
By invoking the Exodus at Davos, Milei fused faith, freedom, and pro-Israel conviction—delivering a message that liberation, not coercion, is the moral foundation of prosperous societies.
