JTA — The Genesis Prize Foundation, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel,” announced Monday that its $1 million award to Argentinian President Javier Milei will support a new initiative aimed at deepening ties between Israel and Latin America.
Conceived by Milei, “American Friends of the Isaac Accords” takes its name and inspiration from the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations.
Milei was the first non-Jew and first head of state to receive the prize in January for his staunch support for Israel and efforts to improve Argentine-Israeli relations. At the time, he said he would donate his winnings to “causes that support freedom and the fight against antisemitism.”
“I hold deep admiration for Israel — its history, its people, and its unwavering spirit,” said Milei during his acceptance speech for the Genesis Prize. “I am honored that the Genesis Prize Foundation has chosen to recognize our country’s strong relationship with Israel.”
The “Isaac Accords” aim to improve “diplomatic, economic and cultural cooperation” between Israel and Latin American countries, according to the Genesis Prize.
The initiative comes as some Latin American countries, including Colombia, Bolivia and Chile, have downgraded their diplomatic ties with Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza. Milei’s staunch support for Israel has positioned him as a rare bridge on a continent with scarce diplomatic backing for Israel.
Argentine President Javier Milei, right, hugs Argentine Sephardic Orthodox rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish at the Western Wall, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Tuesday, February 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
“The creation of AFOIA was inspired by President Milei, who received the Genesis Prize for his steadfast support of Israel during one of the most challenging periods in its history,” said Stan Polovets, the co-founder and chairman of the Genesis Prize Foundation, in a statement. “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.”
The Genesis Prize, founded in 2012 with an endowment from five Russian Jewish businessmen, has been bestowed on a diverse range of recipients,including Barbra Streisand, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, the actor Michael Douglas and the Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky. In 2018, prize recipient Natalie Portman refused to attend the award ceremony in Israel, saying at the time that she did not want “to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony.”
In announcing his selection in January, the prize said Milei “unequivocally supported the Jewish people and their state.” Milei was raised Catholic but has said he is drawn to Judaism, at one point saying he intends to convert once he leaves office.
The new NGO is set to launch projects aimed at improving relations with Israel first in Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica, and will expand its efforts in 2026 to Brazil, Colombia, and Chile.
Visiting Argentinian President Javier Milei meets with released hostages and the relatives of Hamas victims, June 11, 2025. (Office of the Argentinian President via X)
Initial grant recipients of AFOIA include a host of pro-Israel nonprofits and advocacy groups already established in Latin America, including the ILAN Israel Innovation Network, StandWithUs, Israel Allies Foundation, Rambam Health Care Campus, The Philos Project and Yalla Israel.
AFOIA will also aim to strengthen Israel’s standing within the United Nations, where some European countries have announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood this fall.
The NGO will aim to “encourage” the governments of Costa Rica, Panama and Uruguay to relocate their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, designate Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, and “reverse decades-old records of anti-Israel votes in the UN,” according to the Genesis Prize.
“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,” said Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, in a statement. “President Milei’s vision for Isaac Accords is highly admirable, as is the practical support provided by The Genesis Prize Foundation and AFOIA.”
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