Last week, Milei formally launched the Isaac Accords during a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Buenos Aires, establishing a framework designed to deepen diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation between Israel and Latin American nations. The initiative marks a significant shift in regional dynamics, with Argentina positioning itself as a bridge between the Jewish state and governments across the continent willing to challenge the prevailing anti-Israel consensus that has dominated international forums for decades.
Milei’s declaration at the 90th anniversary of the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations captured the moral clarity driving this initiative. “While the vast majority of the free world decided to turn its back on the Jewish state, we extended a hand to it,” he stated. “While the vast majority turned a deaf ear to the growth of antisemitism in their lands, we denounced it with even greater fervor, because evil cannot be met with indifference.” These words carry weight precisely because they come at a time when much of the international community has either condemned Israel or remained silent in the face of terrorism. Less than a year after Hamas terrorists invaded southern Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering over 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds more, Argentina became the first Latin American country to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Paraguay followed earlier this year.
Sa’ar praised Milei as “a double miracle, for Argentina and for the Jewish people,” describing the Argentine leader’s connection to Judaism and Israel as “sincere, powerful, and moving.” During their meeting, Sa’ar recited the Shehecheyanu blessing—a traditional Jewish prayer marking moments of gratitude and renewal. When Milei saw Sa’ar place a kippah on his head, the Argentine president immediately placed his own kippah on his head, the one he keeps in his office. As they concluded their meeting, Milei told Sa’ar with a broad smile: “See you soon in Jerusalem.”
That phrase carries immediate practical significance. Milei announced plans to relocate Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem next spring, fulfilling a promise made last year. The Isaac Accords will encourage other partner countries to make the same move, formally recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, and shift the longstanding anti-Israel voting patterns that have characterized Latin American positions at the United Nations. Several nations have already taken concrete steps. Guatemala, Paraguay, and Honduras have moved their embassies to Jerusalem. Ecuador opened an additional diplomatic mission in Jerusalem this week. Bolivia lifted visa requirements for Israelis, allowing citizens of the Jewish state to visit after years of severed relations under previous left-wing governments.
The first phase of the Isaac Accords will focus on Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica, where projects in technology, security, and economic development are already under review. Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno will travel to Israel in February to advance the operational framework alongside Sa’ar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The initiative explicitly models itself after the Abraham Accords—the historic normalization agreements between Israel and Arab nations brokered under President Trump’s administration—but tailors the approach to Latin American contexts and concerns.
Sa’ar’s regional tour demonstrated the expanding scope of Israel’s diplomatic momentum. In Paraguay, he signed a security cooperation memorandum with President Santiago Peña, whom he called “one of the most impressive leaders on the international stage today.” During a press conference with Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Sa’ar emphasized the practical benefits of partnership: “Paraguay is developing major defense capabilities. Israel’s defense industry has experience and capabilities that we want to share with you.” This represents the kind of strategic cooperation the Isaac Accords aim to replicate across the region—not merely symbolic gestures, but substantive partnerships in innovation, commerce, and security.
Netanyahu praised Milei’s “moral clarity, vision, and courage” as signals of “a new era of common sense, mutual interests, and shared values between Israel and Latin America.” That assessment reflects a broader geopolitical reality. While international institutions continue to single out Israel for condemnation, individual nations are choosing different paths. They recognize that Israel offers expertise in technology, agriculture, security, and economic development that can benefit their own populations. They see the hypocrisy in treating the only democracy in the Middle East as a pariah while ignoring actual human rights abusers. They understand that standing with Israel means standing against the terrorist organizations—Hamas, Hezbollah, and their backers—that threaten free societies everywhere.
