Argentina’s swearing-in ceremony for newly elected members of Congress erupted into controversy last week when several left-wing lawmakers broke from the standard oath of office to deliver political statements pledging allegiance to a “free Palestine,” transforming a normally procedural event into a public political clash.

During the formal session at the National Congress, multiple deputies from far-left parties replaced the traditional pledge of loyalty to the Constitution with statements referencing Gaza, Palestine, and “Zionist genocide.” Among them were prominent figures from the Workers’ Left Front, including Nicolás del Caño, Myriam Bregman, Romina Del Plá, and Néstor Pitrola.

The lawmaker, Néstor Pitrola, appeared at the podium wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh draped around his neck and declared that he swore “for an end to the Zionist genocide and a free Palestine.” Left-wing deputy Nicolás del Caño swore his oath “for the boys and girls massacred in Gaza.”

Romina Del Plá, wearing a T-shirt featuring a watermelon, stated that she swore “for Palestine’s right to exist from the river to the sea,” a phrase widely viewed by Jewish organizations in........

© Middle East Monitor