(TJV NEWS) In a move that could redefine Israel’s diplomatic and cultural engagement in the Western Hemisphere, Argentine President Javier Milei has helped launch a $1 million initiative — the American Friends of the Isaac Accords (AFOIA) — dedicated to deepening diplomatic, economic, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin American nations.

As The Algemeiner reported on Wednesday, the new framework, introduced on Tuesday by the Genesis Prize Foundation, is explicitly modeled on the Abraham Accords, the groundbreaking US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states. The Isaac Accords seek to bring the same spirit of strategic cooperation and mutual benefit to Latin America, while also addressing two urgent global challenges: the spread of antisemitism and the persistent threat of terrorism.

Genesis Prize Foundation co-founder and chairman Stan Polovets made clear that the Isaac Accords bear the imprint of Milei’s personal diplomatic vision.

“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,” Polovets said.

In his statement, 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.”

Earlier this year, during a high-profile visit to Israel, Milei was awarded the $1 million Genesis Prize in recognition of his unwavering diplomatic solidarity with the Jewish state and his public embrace of Jewish values. His commitment to Israel — particularly in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel — has made him an influential voice in reshaping Latin America’s traditionally ambivalent posture toward Jerusalem.

While the Abraham Accords reshaped Israel’s ties with the Arab world, the Isaac Accords aim to transplant that diplomatic template to Latin America, a region where relations with Israel have been historically uneven, often influenced by the geopolitical sway of anti-Israel blocs at the United Nations.

The initiative’s scope is deliberately broad. According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, AFOIA’s work will span sectors as diverse as water technology, agriculture, cyber defense, fintech, healthcare, and energy — areas where Israeli innovation is recognized globally for its transformative potential. The strategy, organizers say, is to combine Israel’s technological prowess with Latin America’s growth ambitions to create partnerships that yield tangible economic and societal benefits.

AFOIA, headquartered in New York, will partner with prominent advocacy and educational organizations, including StandWithUs, the Israel Allies Foundation, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and Yalla Israel. The alliance will ensure that the Isaac Accords are anchored in both grassroots support and institutional backing.

Initially, the initiative will concentrate its efforts on Uruguay, Panama, and Costa Rica, countries seen as receptive to deepened ties with Israel and potential leaders in shifting Latin America’s diplomatic stance toward the Jewish state.

According to the report in The Algemeiner, AFOIA’s first wave of programs will include:

Connecting Latin American students and public officials with Israeli innovations, providing direct exposure to cutting-edge technologies and fostering professional networks.

Strengthening pro-Israel advocacy networks across the region to counter disinformation and build durable public support for Israel.

Training emergency medical teams in Costa Rica in cooperation with Israeli first responders, enhancing regional disaster preparedness.

Supporting Christian leaders who promote strong ties with Israel in their communities and congregations.

The Isaac Accords also have a clear diplomatic agenda. The initiative will encourage partner countries to:

Move their embassies to Jerusalem, reinforcing the city’s status as Israel’s capital.

Formally recognize Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations, aligning with Israel’s security framework.

Shift anti-Israel voting patterns at the United Nations, breaking from decades of bloc-voting that has frequently isolated Israel in international forums.

One of the most striking aspects of Milei’s pro-Israel stance has been Argentina’s pioneering action in counterterrorism designation. Less than a year after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre — the deadliest single-day attack on Jews since the Holocaust — Argentina became the first Latin American country to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. Paraguay followed suit earlier in 2024, signaling that regional attitudes toward the group may be shifting.

This diplomatic alignment dovetails with the Isaac Accords’ emphasis on isolating terrorist actors and confronting the ideological networks that support them. By formalizing such stances in multilateral settings, AFOIA aims to create a unified Latin American voice against both antisemitism and extremist violence.

The Isaac Accords have already won praise from senior Israeli officials. Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, hailed the project as “highly admirable” and expressed gratitude for the Genesis Prize Foundation’s role in supporting Milei’s vision.

“The establishment of a Latin America–Israel alliance rooted in shared values and mutual benefit is long overdue,” Danon said in a statement quoted by The Algemeiner. “I am pleased to see the Isaac Accords initiative get off the ground and thank President Milei for setting an example for his neighbors in the region.”

Danon’s comments reflect a growing recognition in Jerusalem that Latin America could emerge as a vital diplomatic and trade partner, particularly if momentum builds among its democracies to align with Israel on key international security and political issues.

The Genesis Prize Foundation, long known for honoring global figures who embody Jewish values, has moved decisively beyond symbolic recognition in this case, providing seed funding and organizational support to transform Milei’s vision into a sustainable initiative.

Polovets and the Foundation’s leadership have emphasized that the Isaac Accords will serve as a practical framework for cooperation, not merely a diplomatic slogan. By combining philanthropic resources, civil society partnerships, and political will, the Foundation aims to ensure that the initiative yields measurable outcomes in economic growth, technology transfer, and cultural exchange.

Historically, Latin America has been a complex diplomatic arena for Israel. While some nations, such as Guatemala, have maintained consistently warm ties — including relocating their embassies to Jerusalem — others have sided with anti-Israel resolutions at the UN, often under pressure from non-aligned and Arab League-affiliated blocs.

As The Algemeiner report noted, the Isaac Accords represent a deliberate attempt to reframe Latin America’s engagement with Israel, replacing transactional or politically expedient relations with long-term strategic partnerships anchored in shared democratic values, mutual economic benefit, and coordinated counterterrorism policy.

One of the core goals of AFOIA will be to translate symbolic gestures — such as public statements of solidarity — into concrete policy shifts. Moving embassies to Jerusalem, for example, would send a strong message not only to Israel but also to international institutions that Latin American countries are prepared to challenge entrenched diplomatic norms when they conflict with their principles.

Similarly, designating groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations would carry significant legal and financial consequences, cutting off avenues for fundraising, recruitment, and propaganda in the region.

The inclusion of programs aimed at supporting Christian leaders reflects a recognition of the powerful role faith-based diplomacy plays in Latin America. Evangelical and other Christian communities have been among Israel’s most consistent allies in the region, often mobilizing grassroots support for pro-Israel policies.

By engaging these leaders, the Isaac Accords aim to strengthen a constituency that can advocate for sustained government alignment with Israel, particularly on contested issues at the United Nations and in bilateral relations.

The timing of the Isaac Accords is significant. In the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, Israel has been engaged in a multifront diplomatic campaign to shore up support among allies, counter narratives hostile to its self-defense, and rally partners to confront the resurgence of antisemitism worldwide.

Latin America, with its growing economies, emerging technologies, and large Jewish and Christian populations, is uniquely positioned to become a pillar of that strategy. Milei’s leadership — both symbolic and practical — has injected new momentum into that possibility.

As The Algemeiner report underscored, the Isaac Accords could mark the beginning of a more coherent and proactive Israel–Latin America alliance, one grounded not only in shared political values but also in tangible, mutually beneficial projects. By linking innovation, economic development, and counterterrorism cooperation, the initiative seeks to create a durable framework for engagement that can withstand the political shifts that have often disrupted Latin America’s foreign policy landscape.

Whether other Latin American leaders follow Milei’s example remains to be seen. But with the Genesis Prize Foundation’s backing, and with an agenda that blends economic opportunity with moral clarity, the Isaac Accords stand as one of the most ambitious regional diplomacy initiatives in recent years.

In the words of Ambassador Danon, the initiative is “long overdue” — and its success could redefine the role of Latin America in Israel’s global partnerships for decades to come.