In a region where criticism of Israel has grown louder in recent months, Argentina is charting a bold new course. On August 13, 2025, President Javier Milei announced the launch of the American Friends of the Isaac Accords (AFOIA), a $1 million nonprofit initiative aimed at strengthening ties between Latin America and Israel. The move, which comes ahead of a highly anticipated visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has set Argentina apart from many of its neighbors and ignited both praise and protest at home and abroad, according to reporting by GZERO and Al Jazeera.
The Isaac Accords, drawing inspiration from the Abraham Accords brokered by the United States under former President Donald Trump, are designed to foster diplomatic, economic, and cultural cooperation between Israel and key Latin American countries. President Milei’s own words and actions have underscored his intent: "I congratulate the State of Israel on its short but glorious 77 years of existence. Like Argentina, Israel is a beacon of FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY," he posted on social media in May, as Al Jazeera reported.
The genesis of the AFOIA initiative is as unique as its mission. Milei, the 2025 Genesis Prize Foundation laureate—and notably, the first non-Jewish recipient—announced he would use his prize money to launch the nonprofit. In a news release cited by Al Jazeera, Genesis Prize co-founder Stan Polovets described AFOIA as "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."
Initially, the Isaac Accords will focus on Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica, nations described by regional analysts as "primed for enhanced cooperation with Israel." According to the news release, these countries stand to benefit from Israeli expertise in water technology, agriculture, cyber defense, fintech, healthcare, and energy. However, the program’s ambitions extend far beyond this first wave. Milei has indicated plans to expand the Accords to Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and possibly El Salvador by 2026, with the goal of fostering a pro-Israel bloc in a region increasingly divided over the Middle East conflict.
The initiative’s $1 million in research grants will support pro-Israel projects across Latin America, a move that has already garnered praise from some quarters. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, lauded the effort and Milei’s leadership, telling Al Jazeera, "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 also praised Milei for "setting an example for his neighbors in the region."
Yet, the context for this diplomatic push could hardly be more fraught. Several Latin American countries have taken a sharply critical stance toward Israel in the wake of its military campaign in Gaza, which began in 2023. Colombia and Bolivia have severed diplomatic ties with Israel, while Brazil has joined a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the state of committing war crimes. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been especially outspoken, condemning human rights abuses in Gaza, where more than 61,500 Palestinians have reportedly died amid an Israeli blockade that has severely restricted the flow of food, water, and essential supplies. Lula has gone so far as to call the situation a "genocide" and warned of "catastrophic hunger," according to Al Jazeera.
In this polarized environment, Milei’s pro-Israel orientation stands out. The libertarian president has not only praised Israel’s record but has also announced plans to move Argentina’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by 2026, echoing a controversial decision made by the United States in 2018. In another surprising twist, Milei has expressed interest in converting to Judaism—a first for any Argentine leader.
But not everyone in Argentina is on board. In Buenos Aires, thousands have marched recently to demand humanitarian aid for Gaza and to protest Netanyahu’s upcoming visit. The activist group JudiesXPalestina posted on social media, "We not only demand the opening of borders and the entry of humanitarian aid: We support the fight for a #FreePalestine. Zionism is not Judaism," as Al Jazeera documented. These protests underscore the deep divisions within Argentine society and the broader Latin American region over the conflict.
The stakes are further heightened by the legal and diplomatic implications of Netanyahu’s planned trip to Argentina. In 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza. As an ICC member, Argentina is technically obligated to enforce such warrants, making Milei’s invitation to Netanyahu a potential challenge to the court’s authority. According to Al Jazeera, this visit will test Argentina’s commitment to international law and could have repercussions for its standing in the global community.
The Isaac Accords are also being rolled out at a time when global alliances are shifting and regional blocs are rethinking their foreign policy priorities. As GZERO noted, while Argentina is seeking to enhance Latin American ties with Israel, other powers—like China—are exerting pressure on their own spheres of influence. For example, Beijing has recently pressed Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and ByteDance to justify their purchases of Nvidia’s H20 AI chips and to favor domestically produced technology instead. This move, which follows a deal allowing Nvidia to resume H20 sales in China by paying 15% of revenues to the US government, is prompting some companies to scale back orders and could reduce Nvidia’s China market share from 66% in 2024 to 55% in 2025, amid ongoing US-China tech tensions.
Against this backdrop of shifting allegiances and rising geopolitical friction, Milei’s Isaac Accords represent a high-stakes gamble on the future of Latin American diplomacy. Will other regional leaders follow Argentina’s lead, or will the initiative deepen existing divisions? Will the promise of Israeli technology and investment outweigh the political risks of aligning with a state under international scrutiny?
For now, what’s clear is that Argentina’s new approach is already making waves. As regional leaders weigh their next moves, the Isaac Accords stand as a testament to the power—and the controversy—of bold diplomatic vision in turbulent times.