President Javier Milei is nearing the end of his 10-day foreign tour, a trip that has once again helped to raise his international profile.
On Wednesday, Argentina’s head of state was the recipient of a special prize from an Israeli foundation. Milei announced that he will donate the US$1-million prize money that comes with it to a programme aimed at strengthening ties between Israel and Latin America. “The country has chosen to be on the right side of history,” he declared.
At a ceremony held at the Knesset, Israeli Parliament, on Wednesday, Milei was honoured with the Genesis Prize, one of the highest honours in the Jewish world, in recognition of his support for Israel and his promotion of an agenda centred on “freedom, technological development, and the fight against terrorism.”
Dubbed by Time magazine as the “Jewish Nobel Prize,” the cash prize will be dedicated to a new programme “Isaac Accords,” inspired by the Abraham Accords.
According to the foundation’s statement, the project aims to foster closer ties between Israel and Latin American democracies that share common values such as innovation, free trade, and institutional respect.
“We must end Israel’s isolation on the international stage. Alongside President Milei, we will begin this effort in Latin America and help realise his vision for the Isaac Accords,” said Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of the Genesis Prize.
During his acceptance speech, Milei warned of the growing threat of global anti-Semitism and reaffirmed his commitment to the Israeli cause. “I feel a vital urge to continue waging the cultural battle against the enemies of freedom in all their forms,” he said, quoting Borges: “I am not Jewish, but that does not prevent me from feeling the Jewish people’s history as my own.”
“Remember that you will always find in me an ally of Israel, and that this country has chosen to stand on the right side of history,” said the President, clearly emotional.
During his visit to Israel, Milei also took part in the inauguration of a memorial for those kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks, announced an agreement with an airline to establish direct flights between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv and signed cybersecurity and counterterrorism agreements with Benjamin Netanyahu.
He also reiterated his commitment to move Argentina’s Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2026.
Rabbi Shimon Axel Wahnish, Argentina’s ambassador to Israel, paid tribute to his boss at the award ceremony.
“In every generation, there are very few leaders who combine moral clarity, the courage to act on it and a deep faith in God regarding the final outcome. President Javier Milei is, without doubt, one of them. That is the true reason why Argentina and Israel are today united by the values of freedom and democracy.”
World leaders
Milei’s visit to Israel, the second of his Presidency, followed initial stops earlier in the week in Madrid, Rome and Nice.
During a visit to the Vatican, Argentina’s President met with Pope Leo, the new head of the Catholic Church, for the first time.
To Milei’s delight, the Pope confirmed he intends to travel to Argentina during his papacy.
“Pope Leo XIV confirmed to the President of the Nation during the meeting they held a short while ago that he will visit Argentina,” said Presidential Spokesperson Manuel Adorni in a post on social media, without providing further details on dates or itinerary.
Leo, 69, became leader of the Catholic Church earlier this year after the death of his predecessor, Buenos Aires-born Pope Francis, who never returned to his homeland after being elected pontiff.
Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago, is the first US pontiff, though he has a keen interest in South America after spending many years preaching in Peru and also holds Peruvian citizenship.
The duo discussed “topics of shared interest, including socio-economic trends, the fight against poverty and the commitment to social cohesion,” the Vatican said in a statement.
On Monday, Milei met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of a UN conference in Nice, with the duo discussing Argentina’s nuclear plans, a potential partnership on critical minerals and the proposed free-trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur.
Milei’s visit to the south of France – nominally to visit the 2025 UN Oceans Conference, which runs June 9 to 13 – was seen as a gesture of goodwill towards his peer. Despite ideological differences, they have a good relationship and have met frequently in the past.
It is all the more notable given the Argentine leader’s historic hostility towards the United Nations, which he has starkly criticised in the past, notably over its Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals.
Milei made the biggest impact, however, in Madrid, when he renewed his expletive-laden criticism of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, labelling the leader a “crook.”
The speech – during which Argentina's president vowed "death to socialism" – marked the latest escalation in tensions between the two leaders, who clashed last year when Milei suggested Sánchez's wife was "corrupt," prompting Madrid to recall its ambassador from Buenos Aires.
Milei spoke Sunday night at the Madrid Economic Forum, a libertarian gathering that has close ties to cryptocurrency firms.
As rock music played and some attendees shouted insults aimed at Sánchez, Milei gestured energetically and took a swipe at the Spanish leader.
"If you want to rough up the local crook too, I've got no problem with it," Milei said, referring to Sanchez.
Later in his speech, which focused on defending his administration's economic policies, Milei responded to audience members who yelled out: "We need you here!"
"I will always be on your side when it comes to opposing the socialist scum," he said, followed by an expletive referring to Sánchez's party, to thunderous applause.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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