Jewish Warrior Project

The Plan Andinia Conspiracy

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by

Zecharia Yakov
in

How Three Paragraphs from Herzl Were Twisted Into a Global Lie

Core Myth: Jews Have a Secret Plan to Colonize Patagonia

Claim: Zionists secretly planned to establish a second Jewish homeland in Patagonia, southern Argentina and Chile. This alleged “Plan Andinia” proves that Jews were always expansionist and untrustworthy — first aiming to take over Argentina, then shifting to Palestine.

Truth: The only basis for this conspiracy is a single paragraph from Theodor Herzl, taken wildly out of context. The name “Plan Andinia” was invented decades later by Nazi sympathizers in Argentina — not Jews or Zionist leaders. There is no record of any Zionist plan, proposal, or policy targeting South America for statehood. This conspiracy survives purely through gaslighting and propaganda.

Origins: Jewish Refugees, Not Colonizers

In the late 1800s, European Jews were facing pogroms, legal discrimination, and rising antisemitism. Amid this crisis, Jewish intellectuals and leaders — including Herzl — began exploring various solutions for mass Jewish refuge. While Palestine was always the central goal, a handful of temporary alternatives were explored for survival.

One such place was Argentina, where the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) — founded by Baron Maurice de Hirsch — helped establish agricultural colonies for fleeing Jews. These were farms, not a government-in-exile. Most settlers saw Argentina as a stopgap, not a homeland.

There was no blueprint, no army, no charter — and certainly no “Plan Andinia.”

Herzl’s Words — And How They Were Misused

The only citation ever offered to “prove” this conspiracy comes from three paragraphs in Der Judenstaat (1896), where Herzl compared Palestine and Argentina in abstract terms while brainstorming options. Here’s the full quote:

“Shall we choose Palestine or Argentina? We shall take what is given us, and what is selected by Jewish public opinion. The Society will take whichever of the two countries is selected.

The Argentine Republic would have the greatest interest in the immigration of Jews. The present infiltration of Jews has already created some sympathy, and the Argentine Government will also see it as a means of increasing the country’s prosperity. If we are obliged to shift our Jewish masses elsewhere, this would be the most advantageous area — a fertile country, with a sparse population and a mild climate.

Palestine is our unforgettable historic homeland. The very name of Palestine would attract our people with a force of marvelous potency. If His Majesty the Sultan were to give us Palestine, we could offer to take over the whole administration of the country, establishing there a model state with a new, progressive society.”

(Der Judenstaat, Chapter 2)

Key takeaways:

  • Palestine was Herzl’s preferred and ultimate goal.
  • Argentina was discussed as a fallback — one of several — out of pure desperation.
  • No Zionist Congress ever adopted Argentina as a serious plan.
  • Patagonia was never mentioned.
  • The phrase “Plan Andinia” does not exist in any Zionist literature.
  • Herzl notes that Argentina has a “sparse population” — indicating he sought a location that would not require displacing others.
  • The idea of taking over Palestine’s administration was proposed only with the consent of the Sultan, recognizing it was under Ottoman rule and had no sovereign national government.
  • Argentina, by contrast, was already a modern nation-state — further proof that Herzl had no intention of overriding an existing sovereign country.

That’s it. That’s the entire basis for “Plan Andinia.”

So Where Did the Name Come From?

The phrase “Plan Andinia” was not coined by Jews or Zionists, but rather by Argentine military intelligence in the mid-20th century. It emerged most prominently during the military dictatorship of the 1970s–80s, when Jewish journalists, politicians, and officers were accused of disloyalty.

Heavily influenced by Nazi ideology and antisemitic literature, the regime fabricated the term “Plan Andinia” to create a scapegoat. In truth:

  • No Zionist document uses the term.
  • No Israeli map includes Patagonia.
  • No “plan” was ever discovered — just pamphlets and paranoia.

The tactic was (and still is) a form of gaslighting:

“I didn’t make it up. That’s just what it’s called.”

If Zionism Is Colonial, Why Didn’t Israel Expand?

Colonial movements seek conquest. Zionism sought survival.

Even when Israel had military dominance and international leverage, it chose restraint:

  • In 1979, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in full.
  • After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel offered to return all captured territory in exchange for peace — the Arab response was the infamous “Three No’s” (No peace, No recognition, No negotiations).
  • Israel never colonized Lebanon, Jordan, or Syria — even when it could have.
  • There is only one Jewish state — surrounded by 22 Arab states.

If Zionism were truly a colonial movement, there would be multiple Israeli colonies across the region. Instead, Israel has repeatedly offered land concessions and peace — and has often been rejected.

The only major territorial dispute today — the West Bank — contains the Kotel, Judaism’s holiest site, and is tied to both religious significance and security concerns, not expansionism.

Weaponizing Three Paragraphs to Spread a Lie

Plan Andinia is a projection, not a plan. Its purpose isn’t to reveal truth — it’s to:

  • Stir fear about Jewish loyalty.
  • Justify antisemitism and surveillance.
  • Undermine the legitimacy of Israel by suggesting Zionism is inherently colonial.

Just like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, this myth survives because it’s useful to antisemites, not because it’s based in fact.

There are no:

  • Zionist maps of Patagonia.
  • Jewish militias stationed in Argentina.
  • Secret documents outlining a plan.

Only one out-of-context paragraph — and decades of lies built on top of it.

Sources & Further Reading

  1. Theodor Herzl, The Jewish State (Der Judenstaat), 1896

    Full text: archive.org link
  2. Jewish Colonization Association (JCA)
  3. Argentina’s Military Antisemitism & the Rise of “Plan Andinia”
    • “Anti-Semitism in Argentina,” ADL report: adl.org
    • “The Return of the Plan Andinia Myth,” Latin American Jewish Studies Association
  4. Peace Offers & Israeli Withdrawals