Argentine leader Milei launches initiative to boost Israel-Latin America ties
The Isaac Accords, funded by money from the Genesis Prize that Milei received two months ago in Jerusalem, will increase ties between Israel, Uruguay, Panama and Costa Rica, according to the Genesis Prize announcement on Tuesday.
Argentina, under Milei, already has solid ties with Israel. His posture stands in contrast to most of Latin America — where Bolivia and Colombia have severed ties with Israel and other countries have recalled their ambassadors.
The new initiative's name is a nod to the Abraham Accords, which recognized bilateral relations between Israel and several Arab states starting in 2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration. In 2026, the Isaac Accords plans to expand to Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and possibly El Salvador, according to the organizers, the American Friends of the Isaac Accords.
Milei was awarded the Genesis Prize in Jerusalem on June 12 in recognition of his support for Israel, especially when many countries and international organizations, including the United Nations, have condemned Israel's actions in Gaza.
Milei is among the greatest supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government when it comes to world leaders, as Israel faces growing isolation over its bombardment and invasion of Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Although born and raised Roman Catholic, Milei has increasingly shown public interest in Judaism and even expressed intentions to convert.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Watch live: Starmer welcomes Zelensky to Downing Street ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer welcomes Volodymyr Zelensky to 10 Downing Street on Thursday, 14 August, a day before Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are due to meet. The UK prime minister's meeting with the Ukrainian president comes after he vowed that Britain will 'increase pressure' on Russia if necessary. Meanwhile, the US president has threatened Russia with 'severe consequences' if Russia rejects a ceasefire. Sir Keir joined a call with the US president and European allies on Wednesday, praising Mr Trump for his efforts to advance a 'viable' chance of an end to the conflict. Concerns have been raised over the exclusion of Mr Zelensky in the meeting between Mr Trump and Putin; the Ukrainian leader has reiterated that there can be no talk of territorial concessions without his country's involvement. Mr Trump said that if his meeting with the Russian leader goes well, he would like to have a quick second meeting with Putin and Mr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky has warned Donald Trump and European leaders that Putin is 'bluffing' over his intentions to end the war. Sir Keir said ahead of the Friday meeting: 'As I've said personally to President Trump for the three-and-a-bit years this conflict has been going on, we haven't got anywhere near a prospect of actually a viable solution, a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire. 'And now we do have that chance, because of the work that the president has put in.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
China to Send Top Envoy to India as Ties Warm After US Tariffs
(Bloomberg) -- China will send a top official to New Delhi next week, as Beijing steps up efforts to ease long-standing tensions with India amid US President Donald Trump's global trade overhaul. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will likely travel to New Delhi on Aug. 18 — his first trip to the country in over three years — and is expected to meet India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to people familiar with the matter. The US-Canadian Road Safety Gap Is Getting Wider Sunseeking Germans Face Swiss Backlash Over Alpine Holiday Congestion To Head Off Severe Storm Surges, Nova Scotia Invests in 'Living Shorelines' Five Years After Black Lives Matter, Brussels' Colonial Statues Remain For Homeless Cyclists, Bikes Bring an Escape From the Streets A key agenda item will be discussing ways to reduce troop levels along the disputed Himalayan border, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are still private. Such a step would mark significant progress toward restoring trust between the two countries, they added. The trip marks the latest step in a slow but steady thaw between the Asian neighbors, who are also holding talks to restart border trade and plan to resume direct flights as early as next month. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit China in August — his first trip there in seven years. India and China began restoring ties late last year, following a deadly 2020 border clash that had severely strained relations. The renewed engagement comes at a time when New Delhi's ties with Trump are fraying, with Washington imposing a 50% tariff on Indian exports — significantly higher than duties on regional peers. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that Beijing stands ready to work with New Delhi to 'properly handle differences in the face of the big picture.' It makes sense for the two sides to build closer ties as they are 'major developing countries and important members of the Global South,' it said in a response to a query from Bloomberg News. India's Ministry of External Affairs didn't respond to an email seeking further information. China's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request seeking confirmation of Wang's itinerary Rebuilding Ties The two nations are considering the resumption of border trade in locally made goods after more than five years, according to New Delhi officials familiar with the matter. Both sides have proposed restarting trade through designated points on their border, and the matter is currently under discussion, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are still private. For over three decades, India and China had traded locally produced goods — such as spices, carpets, wooden furniture, cattle fodder, pottery, medicinal plants, electric goods and wool — through three designated points along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) disputed Himalayan border. The trade value is relatively small, estimated at just $3.16 million in 2017–18, according to the most recent government data available. The trading points were shut during the Covid-19 pandemic, which coincided with a sharp decline in relations between the two nations after the border clashes that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that Beijing is 'willing to step up communication and coordination with India' on the matter. 'Border trade between China and India has long played an important role in improving lives of the two countries' border residents,' it said in its response to the query. Beijing has also eased curbs on some fertilizer shipments to India and Modi is expected to head to China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. He is expected to meet President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the event held in Tianjin from Aug. 31. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend the SCO gathering. Trump is frustrated with India's continued imports of discounted Russian oil, which he says help fund the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Modi has shown no signs of backing down, and his government signed agreements with Moscow this month to deepen economic cooperation. India has argued its purchases of Russian oil have helped stabilize global markets and prevent a supply crunch. --With assistance from Colum Murphy, Jing Li, Jon Herskovitz and Philip Glamann. Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Dubai's Housing Boom Is Stoking Fears of Another Crash Why It's Actually a Good Time to Buy a House, According to a Zillow Economist Bessent on Tariffs, Deficits and Embracing Trump's Economic Plan The Electric Pickup Truck Boom Turned Into a Big Bust ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump Issues Warning to Putin After Summit Prep With Europe
(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump warned he would impose 'very severe consequences' if Vladimir Putin didn't agree to a ceasefire agreement later this week, following a call with European leaders ahead of his meeting with the Russian president. Trump also said he hoped to use the Friday meeting to set up a 'quick second meeting' with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy after allies pressed him to push for such a summit. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host Zelenskiy in London on Thursday, a Downing Street spokesperson said. The US-Canadian Road Safety Gap Is Getting Wider Sunseeking Germans Face Swiss Backlash Over Alpine Holiday Congestion To Head Off Severe Storm Surges, Nova Scotia Invests in 'Living Shorelines' Five Years After Black Lives Matter, Brussels' Colonial Statues Remain For Homeless Cyclists, Bikes Bring an Escape From the Streets 'There's a very good chance that we're going to have a second meeting which will be more productive than the first,' Trump told reporters Wednesday at the Kennedy Center, adding that he was 'setting the table for the second meeting.' The president's remarks signaled both that he was looking to downplay expectations for the delivery of a full peace deal from his Anchorage, Alaska summit with Putin, and responding to concerns from his European partners who urged him to prioritize direct Putin-Zelenskiy talks. Skeptics of Trump's effort have expressed concern that the US president — who has said an eventual deal would include territorial exchanges — could agree to peace terms proposed by Putin that would disadvantage Ukraine. Trump assured leaders on the call he wouldn't negotiate territories with Putin and would push the Russian leader to meet with Zelenskiy, according to multiple people briefed on the discussions. He reiterated his public claim that he would know quickly if the Russian president was serious about the negotiations, and said the US would be willing to contribute to support some security guarantees short of full NATO membership for Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to reporters Wednesday after the call, said that any decision on possible concessions on territory will need to be made by Ukraine and there were no 'serious territorial exchange plans on the table today.' 'Trump was very clear on the fact that the US wants to obtain a ceasefire at this meeting in Alaska,' Macron told reporters in Bregancon, France. 'We have reiterated that until there is a ceasefire and a lasting peace, we must continue to support Ukraine, and when I say we I mean Europeans and Americans.' Trump and US Vice President JD Vance joined European leaders including from Germany, France, Poland and Italy as well as Zelenskiy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the roughly hour-long discussion. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also took part, said in a post on social media that the leaders had a 'very good call' and that it 'strengthened the common ground for Ukraine.' Trump described the call similarly, saying he would 'rate it a 10' and said he had promised to brief Zelenskiy and European leaders immediately after concluding his conversation. Trump also said he would be willing to walk away if he judged Putin as insincere. 'Now there may be no second meeting, because if I feel that it's not appropriate to have it, because I didn't get the answers that we have to have, then we're not going to have a second meeting,' Trump said. Turkey was mentioned on the call as one location for a potential trilateral summit between Trump, Putin and Zelenskiy if the meeting did in fact come together, a person familiar with the matter said. The talks came after days of intense diplomacy between US, European and Ukrainian officials ahead of Trump's planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the call with the US leader, reiterated that Ukraine would need to be involved in any decisions. 'We have made it clear that Ukraine will be at the table as soon as there is a follow-up meeting,' Merz told reporters in Berlin alongside Zelenskiy. 'President Trump wants to make a ceasefire a priority.' Moscow is demanding that Ukraine cede its entire eastern Donbas region as well as Crimea, which Putin's forces illegally annexed in 2014, as a condition to unlock a ceasefire and enter negotiations over a lasting settlement, Bloomberg previously reported. Such an outcome would require the government in Kyiv to give up parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces still under its control and hand Russia a victory that its army couldn't achieve militarily for more than a decade. Zelenskiy told reporters earlier this week that he won't cede Donbas, adding that the Kremlin could use it as a launchpad for a future offensive. European nations have made clear to the US that they will not formally recognize territory illegally occupied by Russia. Macron said questions about the territory 'will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president.' 'We support this position and it was very clearly expressed by President Trump,' he told reporters, adding that the US leader 'will also fight to obtain' a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy. Kyiv and its allies argue that a truce along the current battle-lines should be the first step toward formal negotiations. European leaders also stressed to Trump that Ukraine needs robust security guarantees to ensure that any deal holds. 'If there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the United States and we Europeans should and must increase the pressure,' Merz said. 'President Trump is aware of this position and largely shares it.' Trump hasn't implemented any direct measures against Moscow so far, though he doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% last week for its purchases of Russian oil, sparking outrage in New Delhi. He threatened to ramp up economic pressure on Moscow unless Putin agreed to a ceasefire by last Friday. That deadline passed without any further action after the two sides announced their first summit meeting since Trump's return to the White House in January. European leaders also said that Trump, Putin and Zelenskiy could aim to formalize a ceasefire alongside an agreement on the core parameters for peace negotiations at a trilateral meeting, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Zelenskiy said the participants in the call agreed that there 'must be security guarantees and they must be stronger if Russia does not agree to ceasefire in Alaska.' 'We need more pressure — not only American but also European sanctions,' Zelenskiy said. --With assistance from Josh Wingrove, Andra Timu, Kavita Mokha, James Regan, Kateryna Chursina, Iain Rogers and Hadriana Lowenkron. (Adds meeting with Startmer in the second paragraph.) Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates Dubai's Housing Boom Is Stoking Fears of Another Crash Why It's Actually a Good Time to Buy a House, According to a Zillow Economist Bessent on Tariffs, Deficits and Embracing Trump's Economic Plan The Electric Pickup Truck Boom Turned Into a Big Bust ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
