President Javier Milei of Argentina has proposed a brand new $1m initiative to strengthen relations between Latin America and Israel, forward of an anticipated go to from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On Monday, the Genesis Prize Basis — a gaggle that provides an annual award to members of the Jewish neighborhood — introduced that Milei, its most up-to-date winner, would use his prize cash to launch a brand new nonprofit, the American Associates of the Isaac Accords (AFOIA).
“AFOIA is a automobile to advertise Milei’s daring imaginative and prescient and encourage different Latin American leaders to face with Israel, confront antisemitism, and reject the ideologies of terror that threaten our shared values and freedoms,” Genesis Prize co-founder Stan Polovets mentioned in a information launch.
The assertion defined that the brand new nonprofit was impressed, partly, by efforts underneath United States President Donald Trump to normalise relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
Throughout Trump’s first time period, from 2017 to 2021, international locations like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates agreed to ascertain diplomatic relations with Israel in a sequence of offers often known as the Abraham Accords.
Milei’s efforts, in the meantime, come as Israel faces rising condemnation in Latin America over its struggle in Gaza, which United Nations consultants have in comparison with a genocide.
Nations like Colombia and Bolivia have severed diplomatic ties with Israel because the begin of the struggle in 2023, and Brazil not too long ago grew to become the newest nation to affix a case in opposition to Israel introduced by South Africa earlier than the Worldwide Court docket of Justice.
“The Isaac Accords intention to reflect the success of the Abraham Accords by fostering diplomatic, financial, and cultural cooperation between Israel and key Latin American nations,” the information launch mentioned.
Pushing in opposition to a regional development
The nonprofit will initially focus its efforts on three Latin American international locations: Uruguay, Panama and Costa Rica. The information launch credit regional analysts as saying these international locations are “primed for enhanced cooperation with Israel”.
“These nations stand to learn considerably from Israeli experience in water know-how, agriculture, cyber protection, fintech, healthcare, and power,” it mentioned.
However the Isaac Accords nonprofit in the end goals to broaden its mission to Brazil, Colombia, Chile and probably El Salvador by 2026.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, applauded the institution of the nonprofit and praised Milei as “setting an instance for his neighbors within the area”.
However he acknowledged that a number of high-profile Latin American leaders have spoken out in opposition to Israel’s army marketing campaign in Gaza.
“Given the hostility towards the Jewish state from some nations within the area, assist of Israel by Latin American international locations which at the moment are on the sidelines is essential,” Danon mentioned within the launch.
Prime leaders like Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have forcefully denounced the human rights abuses unfolding in Gaza, the place greater than 61,500 Palestinians have been killed and plenty of threat perishing from starvation.
The enclave is underneath an Israeli blockade that restricts the quantity of meals, water and important provides reaching residents. Final month, the UN warned of “mounting proof of famine” and “catastrophic starvation” in Gaza.
“We can’t stay detached to the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza, the indiscriminate killing of harmless civilians and the usage of starvation as a weapon of struggle,” Brazil’s President Lula advised the BRICS financial alliance in July.
Milei embraces Israel
However whereas left-wing Latin American leaders like Lula take steps to distance themselves from Israel, Milei, a libertarian, has taken the other strategy.
In June, for instance, Milei confirmed his intention to maneuver Argentina’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by 2026, regardless of conflicting Israeli and Palestinian claims on the town. Trump made an analogous determination in 2018.
Milei has additionally praised Israel for its human rights report, together with in a social media submit this previous Could honouring the 77th anniversary of its institution in 1948, which resulted within the mass displacement of Palestinians.
“I congratulate the State of Israel on its quick however superb 77 years of existence,” the Argentinian president wrote. “Like Argentina, Israel is a beacon of FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY.”
Milei, a Catholic, has even expressed curiosity in changing to Judaism, which might be a primary for an Argentinian president.
His choice because the 2025 Genesis Prize winner is taken into account a primary for a non-Jewish particular person, and it’s custom for winners to present the money award to a trigger they assist.
However Milei’s pro-Israel stance has prompted public backlash in Argentina. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of the capital Buenos Aires to sentence Israeli actions in Gaza.
“We not solely demand the opening of borders and the entry of humanitarian assist: We assist the combat for a #FreePalestine. Zionism will not be Judaism,” one group concerned within the protests, JudiesXPalestina, posted on social media.
A check for the Worldwide Legal Court docket
Many demonstrators additionally voiced opposition to stories that Netanyahu would go to Argentina within the coming weeks.
The Israeli prime minister’s arrival would check Argentina’s dedication to the Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC), of which it’s a member.
In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, on the idea that there are cheap grounds to imagine that they had overseen struggle crimes in Gaza.
The ICC, nevertheless, depends on member international locations to hold out such arrests. Argentina’s determination to welcome Netanyahu might subsequently be seen as a rebuke to the courtroom’s authority, additional weakening its energy.
