Argentinian President Javier Milei delivered a letter from the families of freed Israeli hostages with Argentinian citizenship to US President Donald Trump, as the two leaders met on Tuesday.
The families of former hostages Eitan Horn and Ariel and David Cunio, according to the letter shared by the Argentinian president’s office on social media, thanked Trump for his diplomatic efforts to secure their release on Monday.
“What you have done will never be forgotten. You knew how to act with strength, faith, and love when the world had almost lost hope. You stood on the side of life and truth. You showed what true leadership looks like, guided by values, conviction, and compassion. Thanks to you, our homes are once again filled with happiness,” read a letter signed by the Horn and Cunio families.
Pride in Argentinian roots
“No one before you has achieved this. You gave us hope when there was none and made history in a way that will be remembered for generations. You showed the world that freedom, moral clarity, and humanity can prevail even in the darkest times.”
The families said that Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the Friday ceasefire deal that stemmed from his September 29 phased peace plan but reminded that the endeavor was not complete until the body of deceased Argentinian-born hostage Lior Rudaeff had been repatriated from Gaza.
The Horn and Cunio families said that they were proud of their Argentinian roots and maintained a great love for the country. They thanked Milei for his own support of the families. Milei had issued a statement welcoming the release of the hostages on Monday, praising Trump as the “architect of this milestone on the path to peace in the Middle East.”
“President Javier Milei honors the courage and resilience of the hostages who managed to survive such inhumane and prolonged captivity. For two endless years, they were deprived of their freedom, tortured, and exposed to the most extreme conditions. However, amid the horror, they remained steadfast. They resisted fear, isolation, and cruelty with a fortitude that today stands as a symbol of hope and faith in life,” read the statement.
“The memory of their suffering, both of those who returned alive and those who did not, must inspire a renewed commitment to defending peace in the region. The Argentine Republic celebrates that after two years, the parties have finally been able to reach an agreement to pacify the Gaza Strip.”
Milei noted that David Cunio’s twin daughters and wife had also been abducted by Gaza terrorists until their ransoming in November 2023. Ariel Cunio’s girlfriend had been kidnapped with him and released in January. Iair Horn, Eitan’s brother, had been released from Gazan captivity in a February deal.
The Argentinian Jewish community celebrated the return of the Argentinian hostages this week, with the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association stating on the day of their release that they had dreamed and prayed for the moment.
“We also hope that in the coming hours the families of those killed in captivity will be able to receive their remains so they can have a sacred burial and rest in peace,” AMIA said in a statement. “These are moments we will never forget. We have not been the same since October 7, 2023. That deep wound will remain with us forever.”
Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas said on X/Twitter that it was as if the light had been turned back on with the return of the living hostages. “We celebrate the release of the hostages in the hands of Hamas, and with them, the life that endures,” DAIA said Monday. “We think of the families who waited, who prayed, who never gave up.”