Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew back to Israel from New York on Friday following a whirlwind visit to the United Nations that included meetings with a series of world leaders and a push to expand Israel’s partnerships in Latin America.
Netanyahu headed home ahead of Shabbat and the start of Sukkot on Friday evening. His office had said ahead of the trip that his schedule in New York would be unusually tight because of the need to return to Israel before the holiday.
Following his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday, Netanyahu held a joint meeting with the presidents of Bolivia, Panama and Paraguay, after meeting separately with Argentine President Javier Milei.
Netanyahu invited the three leaders to join the “Isaac Accords,” an initiative launched by Israel and Argentina in April to expand cooperation between Israel and like-minded countries in the Western Hemisphere. The framework focuses on security, innovation, technology and trade, as well as combating terrorism, antisemitism and drug trafficking.
“I invited them to join the ‘Isaac Accords’—and to expand the circle of friendship and partnership with Israel in the economy, in innovation and in security,” Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew on X.
‘Iran and its proxies threaten not only Israel’
Netanyahu thanked the Latin American leaders for their countries’ support for Israel and called on them to join what he described as a U.S. initiative to withdraw from the “corrupt International Court.”
Netanyahu also emphasized the threat posed by Tehran in the Western Hemisphere.
“Iran and its proxies threaten not only Israel. They have acted and are acting on the soil of Latin America as well,” he wrote. “In the face of the Iranian axis of terror, we are building an axis of free and strong countries.”
The Isaac Accords were launched by Netanyahu and Milei in Jerusalem in April. Inspired by the Abraham Accords, they are intended to provide a framework for closer relations between Israel, Argentina and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.
During their meeting in New York, Netanyahu thanked Milei for his “steadfast and unconditional support” for Israel and congratulated him on receiving the “Defender of Israel” award from Darchei Torah Yeshiva in New York.
The two men discussed expanding the Isaac Accords and strengthening security and economic cooperation between Israel and Latin American countries.
Netanyahu lavished praise on the Argentine leader for both his economic policies and his support for Israel.
“President Milei is one of the great leaders of our time,” Netanyahu said. “What you have done for the economy of Argentina is masterful, very hard to do, with a lot of political resistance.”
He praised Milei for speaking “the truth,” adding, “That’s why you support Israel, because we share this common heritage of justice and speaking the truth.”
“Thank you very much, my friend,” Milei responded. “For me, [it is] an honor to receive your words, being you one of the greatest leaders of all history of the world.”
Always good to meet my dear friend @JMilei. Javier, your courage and friendship mean so much to me and to the people of Israel. Israel has no better friend than you. ¡Viva la libertad! 🇮🇱❤️🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/Y1D1r4AUvs
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) September 24, 2026
Meetings with Greek and Slovenian leaders
The Israeli prime minister also met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the General Assembly annual debate. Netanyahu stressed the importance of the countries’ strategic partnership for regional stability and welcomed Greece’s selection of Israeli defense systems.
The two leaders discussed regional developments, energy cooperation and plans for another trilateral summit involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus.
Netanyahu also met with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, noting the opening of Israel’s embassy in Ljubljana and thanking him for his support for Israel. The two men discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, and Netanyahu invited Janša to visit Israel.
Janša said his meeting with Netanyahu at the United Nations came amid a strengthening of political ties between the two countries.
“Relations between Slovenia and Israel have been traditionally friendly ever since independence,” Janša wrote on X, adding that the two countries had already taken “concrete steps to strengthen political, economic, scientific and technological cooperation.”
He identified artificial intelligence, high technology, defense, research and investment as areas with significant potential for increased cooperation.
“We are turning good political relations into new opportunities for businesses, research institutions, investors and citizens of both countries,” Janša wrote. “Slovenia and Israel possess a wealth of knowledge, experience and entrepreneurial potential. We are creating the conditions in which this potential can connect and grow into concrete results for the benefit of both countries.”
Netanyahu’s office had said that numerous world leaders sought meetings with him, but that he could accommodate only some of the requests because he planned to return to Israel before Sukkot.
