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Buenos Aires Deputy Mayor Yamil Santoro is proposing to rename a city street in honor of an Argentine-Israeli family abducted and killed by their captors in Gaza, saying the October 7 attack was not just against Israel but against democracy and freedom.
Santoro has introduced legislation to rename "Estado de Palestina" (State of Palestine) Street in the Almagro neighborhood as "Bibas Family Street" to commemorate Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, who were abducted and later murdered in Gaza.
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Deputy mayor of Buenos Aires Yamil Santoro
(Video: Lior Sharon)
"The Bibas family is a worthy symbol to be commemorated," Santoro told Ynet in an interview Monday. "We thought it was appropriate to honor their memory, along with everyone who lost their lives or was harmed in the war against Hamas."
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Santoro said most residents support the initiative, with a Change.org petition gathering over 30,000 signatures in less than two days. However, some opponents believe a memorial or recognition should be created but not at the expense of Palestine Street. "That is a fair point and will likely be debated in the local congress," Santoro said.
Others strongly object to the initiative, including "radical left-wing factions" who claim the Bibas family was killed by Israeli airstrikes and "far-right elements" who oppose the tribute altogether, he said.
Beyond honoring the Bibas family, Santoro said his proposal is also about eliminating official recognition of the Palestinian Authority, which he argued is controlled by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. "I don't think Buenos Aires should be recognizing such an entity," he said.
The proposal requires approval from a majority in the local congress, with discussions set to begin when the legislative session opens on March 1.
Santoro, a longtime supporter of Israel, said the criticism he has faced over the initiative has been particularly intense. "I've always stood with Israel and have been involved in similar debates," he said. "I'm part of Argentina’s forum against antisemitism, so I wasn’t completely surprised by the criticism."
However, he said this was the first time he had encountered such a concentrated wave of hostility. "It was an eye-opening experience," he said, adding that his team has worked to block and remove online accounts spreading hateful content.
Santoro, who is not Jewish, described his connection to Israel as ideological, citing its role in countering Islamic extremism. "If Israel weren’t there, the threat would spread to Europe and the rest of the Western world," he said.
He also defended Israel’s democratic values. "Israel is the only democracy in the region, where people can live according to their beliefs and lifestyles," he said. "What happened on October 7 made it clear that the issue isn’t territory or politics — it’s pure hatred toward Israel."
Santoro was asked whether the name change initiative reflects Argentina’s shifting political climate under President Javier Milei, who has expressed strong support for Israel. "Since Milei took office, discussions about Israel have become more public, which I see as a positive development," he said.
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However, he stressed that his position predates the current government. "Even before Milei proposed moving Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem, I was the first to call on our Foreign Ministry to do so — in 2018 and again in 2021 under President Alberto Fernández," he said. "So while I’m glad Milei supports this, my stance has not changed."
Santoro said he has not contacted the Bibas family directly but has reached out through mutual friends. "I didn’t want to intrude, so I asked friends with connections to the family to let them know I’m available to talk," he said.
He added that if the family has concerns about renaming the street, he is open to alternative proposals, such as naming it in memory of all victims of the October 7 attack.
Santoro's proposal faces a legal challenge: Buenos Aires law prohibits naming streets after individuals who have died less than 10 years ago. He is now working to amend the law to allow an exception in this case. The legislative debate is expected to take place in the coming weeks.