On May 15, Israel's ambassador to Argentina, Eyal Sela , formally addressed Navitas Petroleum 's involvement in the Sea Lion oil exploration project, located in the illegitimate northern basin of the Malvina Islands, a concession granted by the British colonial administration. Speaking toNewsDigitales , the diplomat acknowledged the unease expressed by Argentine authorities and stated, "Israel understands the Argentine position. We know it's an uncomfortable situation." However, Sela distanced his administration from the issue, asserting that Navitas "is a private company and not an Israeli state-owned enterprise."

Despite the official argument that places the conflict exclusively within the corporate sphere, public financial records reveal a network where the State of Israel has a regulatory role and where the country's institutional capital constitutes the main support of the operation.

Navias' financial structure: The role of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and pension funds

Navitas Petroleum does not operate in isolation from Israeli state mechanisms. The company is registered and actively traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) , a financial institution under the supervision of the Israel Securities Authority (ISA), a public body of the Jewish state.

Furthermore, the main assets and investments that leverage Navitas' exploration and development projects in the South Atlantic come from large institutional investment funds and Israeli workers' and retirees' pension funds . Thus, the country's public pension savings directly finance port infrastructure, mud plants, and the contracting of drilling platforms on the Argentine continental shelf, in open contradiction with United Nations resolutions (such as Res. 31/49 ) that prohibit unilateral modifications in the disputed sovereignty zone.

The web of violations of Argentine law

During an interview a month and a half ago, Ambassador Sela himself left the resolution of the conflict in the hands of the national Executive Branch, stating that “Argentina can make any decision it deems appropriate regarding this company.” However, 45 days have passed since this diplomatic stance without the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Javier Milei's administration , having initiated any effective action in a situation where Navitas is committing multiple violations of national regulations.

While Navitas Petroleum 's technical timeline is publicly progressing—with plans to begin drilling between 2027 and 2028 to reach commercial production by mid-2028—the Argentine Foreign Ministry's strategy has been limited to formal rhetorical pronouncements. The failure to apply the punitive tools and police powers granted by national laws reinforces a scenario of state passivity and complicity that allows unilateral operations in the South Atlantic to continue.