Argentinian President Javier Milei formally launched the Isaac Accords on Saturday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening political, economic, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin America.
Milei announced the initiative following a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who visited Buenos Aires on Saturday as part of a regional diplomatic tour.
The Isaac Accords are being promoted in partnership with Washington and are modeled after the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.
Milei said Argentina would serve as a "pioneer" alongside the US to promote the new framework to other Latin American countries, including Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar praised Milei’s love of Judaism and Israel as "sincere, powerful, and moving." Before the meeting began, Milei recited the "Shehecheyanu," a traditional Jewish blessing, and placed a kippah on his head.
"When the president saw me place the kippah on my head to make the blessing, he immediately placed on his own head the kippah he keeps in his office," Saar wrote.
After his election, Milei "transformed Argentina from a critic of Israel to one of its staunchest supporters," according to the Times of Israel, including announcing plans to move its embassy to occupied Jerusalem.
Though Milei was raised Catholic, he has stated he will convert to Judaism once he leaves office. Argentine officials said that possible joint projects with Israel in the fields of technology, security, and economic development are already under consideration.
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno is scheduled to travel to Israel in February for additional talks to advance the initiative.
Since coming to power, Milei has opened Argentina’s economy to exploitation by foreign investors, including by evicting Mapuche tribes from their lands in the southern Patagonia region.
Foreign corporations with major investments in the Argentine Patagonia include the Israeli firm Mekorot, the Italian firm Benetton, and investment companies from the UAE, among others.
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