The Isaac Accords: A New Diplomatic Front Opens in Latin America

Argentine President Javier Milei stood before Jerusalem’s Museum of Tolerance in June 2025 as the first non-Jewish head of state to receive the Genesis Prize. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Genesis Prize Foundation Chairman Stan Polovets presented the award, with Milei declaring to the assembled crowd his embrace of Jewish history as his own.

“I am not Jewish, but that does not stop me from feeling the history of the Jewish people as my own,” Milei said. “You will always find in me an ally of Israel, a country that stands on the right side of history. In this difficult moment, I embrace you fraternally and say with sincerity, Am Israel Chai!”

Milei donated the entire million dollar prize to establish the American Friends of Isaac Accords, a New York based non-profit designed to institutionalize a pro-Israel bloc throughout Latin America. The organization opened its doors in August and is on a mission to make Latin America safe for Israeli interests.

The initiative takes its name from Isaac, the biblical patriarch and son of Abraham, positioning the framework as a successor to the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations such as Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates. Where the Abraham Accords focused on the Middle East, the Isaac Accords are now targeting Latin America.

Argentina’s Ambassador to Israel, Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, articulated the vision in June following the Genesis Prize ceremony. “If the Gulf can have the Abraham Accords, why can’t Latin America have the Isaac Accords?” Wahnish asked.

The framework pursues concrete diplomatic milestones rather than symbolic gestures. The initiative encourages Latin American nations to relocate embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, reverse anti-Israel voting patterns at the United Nations, and establish security cooperation channels to combat Iranian influence in the region. Economic integration centers on Israeli technology transfers in agritech, water management and cyber defense, sectors where Latin American nations face acute capacity gaps.

The November 27 meeting between Milei and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Buenos Aires marked the formal diplomatic launch of the initiative. Sa’ar described Milei’s connection to Judaism and Israel as sincere, describing the president’s rise as a double miracle for Argentina and the Jewish people. Milei declared Argentina would serve as a key partner alongside the United States in promoting the framework, stating the free world must rise together against threats to liberty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Milei’s vision as signals of a new era of shared 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 said. “I invite all our friends across the continent, those who believe in freedom, security and prosperity, to join the Isaac Accords.”

The organizational architecture operates through the American Friends of Isaac Accords rather than traditional diplomatic channels. The non-profit structure allows the initiative to bypass government bureaucracy, directly funding pro-Israel organizations, arranging delegation trips, and facilitating partnerships between Israeli technology firms and Latin American markets. This is the hidden strength of the sprawling NGO–think tank networks that steer much of foreign policy from behind the scenes. This consortium of NGOs advances Zionist objectives regardless of who occupies office, answering only to itself and shrugging off any of the consequences.

For Israeli officials, the rollout of the Isaac Accords is a sigh of relief, given Latin America’s growing hostility toward Israel since October 7.  Multiple governments across the region, most notably Colombia in recent years, have downgraded ties with Israel or recalled ambassadors as public outrage over Israel’s genocide in Gaza has grown, while Israel has faced deeper isolation across parts of the Global South.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon was effusive about this recent initiative. “Given the hostility toward the Jewish state from some nations in the region, support of Israel by Latin American countries which are now on the sidelines is very important,” Danon said.

Genesis Prize Foundation Chairman Stan Polovets articulated the initiative’s ambitions at the June ceremony in Jerusalem. “We must end Israel’s isolation on the world stage,” Polovets said. “Together with President Milei, we will start in Latin America and help make his dream of Isaac Accords a reality. Milei’s support is not only symbolic. His Isaac Accords vision is a geopolitical strategy that can bring tangible results in Latin America.”

Polovets described the creation of AFOIA as inspired by Milei’s steadfast support of Israel during one of the most challenging periods in its history. “AFOIA is a vehicle to promote Milei’s bold vision and encourage other Latin American leaders to stand with Israel, confront antisemitism, and reject the ideologies of terror that threaten our shared values and freedoms,” Polovets said.

The initiative operates on a phased approach. Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama and Uruguay form the initial partnership group, with focus on immediate trade deals and security agreements. Phase Two targets Brazil, Chile, Colombia and El Salvador for expansion in 2026 and beyond, aiming to pull these nations back toward Israel despite recent diplomatic tensions.

Milei addressed the Argentine Congress at the 90th anniversary of DAIA, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations, in November, framing Argentina’s stance as moral courage amid international abandonment. “While the vast majority of the free world decided to turn its back on the Jewish state, we extended a hand to it,” Milei said. “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.”

During his June address to the Knesset, Milei pledged to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem in 2026 and outlined his administration’s position. “I said at the start of my term of office that I consider Israel and the United States as our two main strategic partners,” Milei told Israeli lawmakers. “We did not hesitate to declare Hamas as a terrorist organization. My brothers and sisters, Argentina stands by you in these difficult times.”

Milei framed Argentina’s alliance with Israel as a question of good vs. evil. “It is important to understand that we are in the midst of a battle between good and evil, and we started to lose this battle when we started to lose the distinction between the two,” Milei said. “The international community must reconnect urgently with its moral compass.”