Netanyahu praises Milei’s moral clarity on Israel ties

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday thanked Argentine President Javier Milei for recent remarks of support, saying they “touched the heart of every Israeli.”

Milei spoke at the Teatro Colón opera house in Buenos Aires on Nov. 27, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), the umbrella organization of Argentina’s Jewish community.

“While the vast majority of the free world decided to turn its back on the Jewish state, we extended a hand to it; 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, but must be confronted with a force of equal magnitude, yet in the opposite direction,” the Argentine leader said.

The exchange followed Argentina’s launch of the Isaac Accords, an initiative to strengthen political, economic and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin America. Milei announced the pact in a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar during the latter’s recent visit to Argentina, which was preceded by a visit to Paraguay.

In social media posts, Netanyahu praised Milei’s “moral clarity, vision and courage,” describing them as signals of “a new era of common sense, mutual interests and values between Israel and Latin America.

“Together, and in tandem with U.S. leadership under President Trump, we will elevate our relations to new heights,” Netanyahu wrote. “I invite all our friends across the continent—those who believe in freedom, security and prosperity—to join the Isaac Accords!”

The framework is modeled on the Abraham Accords, the 2020 normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations brokered during Trump’s first term. In addition to Argentina, the initial stage of the Isaac Accords includes Uruguay, Panama and Costa Rica.

The Genesis Prize Foundation announced in August the launch and $1 million in initial funding for a new nonprofit organization, the American Friends of the Isaac Accords.

Milei, a proud philosemite, has dramatically shifted Argentina’s foreign policy toward an alliance with the United States and Israel, after decades of Argentine governments—both left- and right-wing—favoring Arab countries.

Accepting the Genesis Prize in Jerusalem on June 12, he said: “I hold deep admiration for Israel—its history, its people and its unwavering spirit. I am honored that the Genesis Prize Foundation has chosen to recognize our country’s strong relationship with Israel. I trust that this gesture may inspire deeper dialogue and cooperation throughout the region, based on shared values such as freedom, democracy and mutual respect.”