Argentina’s Milei receives Genesis Prize in Jerusalem, award money to support Israel-Latin America ‘Isaac Accords’

Milei is the first non-Jewish recipient of the award and the first head of state to receive it in recognition of his unwavering support for Israel, commitment to democratic values, and resolute stand against terrorism and antisemitism.

By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The Algemeiner

Argentine President Javier Milei was awarded the $1 million Genesis Prize in Jerusalem on Thursday, in recognition of his unwavering support for Israel and commitment to Jewish values, during a three-day visit to the Jewish state.

During a ceremony at the Museum of Tolerance, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Genesis Prize Foundation Chairman Stan Polovets presented the award to Milei, praising the Argentine leader as a “moral voice of clarity” on the international stage.

Milei waived his $1 million prize, and at his behest the Genesis Prize Foundation will donate the money to a nonprofit organization established to support Milei’s Isaac Accords initiative.

The idea is modeled after the Abraham Accords — a series of historic US-brokered normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries — aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties between Israel and Latin American nations.

“In this difficult moment, I stand with you in solidarity, offering a fraternal embrace and a heartfelt ‘Am Yisrael Chai,’” Milei said during his acceptance speech, referring to the Hebrew expression meaning “the people of Israel live.”

Established in 2013, the annual $1 million prize — dubbed the “Jewish Nobel” by TIME magazine — honors individuals “for their outstanding professional achievements, contribution to humanity, and deep commitment to Jewish values.”

According to the Genesis Prize Foundation, Milei is the first non-Jewish recipient of the award and the first head of state to receive it in recognition of his unwavering support for Israel, commitment to democratic values, and resolute stand against terrorism and antisemitism.

“We must end Israel’s isolation on the world stage. Together with President Milei, we will start in Latin America and help make his dream of Isaac Accords a reality,” Polovets said during the ceremony.

“Milei’s support is not only symbolic. His Isaac Accords vision is a geopolitical strategy that can bring tangible results in Latin America,” he continued. “This is more than a prize. It’s a call to action.”

Polovets continued, “We want to encourage South and Central American countries to emulate Argentina’s example by strengthening relations with Israel, voting with – not against – Israel in the UN, cooperating on security matters, and promoting market-oriented democratic reforms across the region.”

The Genesis Prize Foundation announced it will partner with organizations such as StandWithUs, the Israel Allies Foundation, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, and Yalla Israel to support the launch of Milei’s initiative.

Since taking office over a year ago, Milei has been one of Israel’s most vocal supporters, strengthening bilateral relations to unprecedented levels and in the process breaking with decades of Argentine foreign policy tradition to firmly align with Jerusalem and Washington.

Last week, Milei embarked on a 10-day international tour — the longest since he took office — with planned stops in Italy, France, Spain, and Israel, where he spent the most time.

During his visit to the Jewish state, Milei announced that Argentina would move its embassy to Jerusalem next year, joining the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Paraguay, and Papua New Guinea in doing so and recognizing the city as Israel’s capital.

On Thursday, the Argentine leader also signed a “Memorandum of Understanding for Democracy and Freedom” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and antisemitism.

The agreement is intended as a counterweight to the MoU signed by former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner with Iran, which allegedly covered up the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.