Netanyahu thanks Milei for support, discusses Abraham Accords

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Argentine President Javier Milei in New York following his address to the UN General Assembly. During the meeting, Netanyahu thanked the Argentine leader for his steadfast and unqualified support of the State of Israel, and congratulated him on receiving the "Lover of Israel" award from Yeshiva Derech Torah in New York.

"President Milei is one of the great leaders of our generation," Netanyahu opened. "What you have done for Argentina's economy is exceptional. It is very difficult to do, there is a lot of political opposition, but you broke the cage and you are giving freedom to the people."

The Prime Minister added: "It may take time until they understand it, but I want to tell you — anyone who understands anything about economics knows there has never been such a transformation. As someone who led such a transformation myself, know that this is a compliment that comes from the heart and the mind."

Photo: Omer Miron/GPO, Sound: Yechezkel Kandil/GPO

Netanyahu also addressed Milei's principled stance in the international arena: "And second, you stand for truth. You don't care, you just speak for truth. That's why you support Israel, because we share this common heritage of justice and speaking for truth, and no one does it better than you."

The Argentine president responded to the praise: "Thank you very much, my friend. For me it is a great honor to hear your words, since you are one of the greatest leaders in world history."

The two leaders discussed continued cooperation between their countries and the positive strategic shift for Israel taking place in Latin America. According to the Prime Minister's Office, this shift enables expansion of what Netanyahu termed the "Isaac Accords", a reference to the Abraham Accords framework, under Milei's leadership, deepening security and economic cooperation between Israel and countries across the continent.

Milei visited Yeshiva Derech Torah in New York on Tuesday as part of his trip to the United States for the UN General Assembly. During the visit he addressed the yeshiva's students, and was later presented with the "Lover of Israel" award in recognition of his support for Israel and the Jewish people.

The Argentine president is known for his deep connection to biblical texts. In an interview with the French outlet LCI, Milei noted that he draws inspiration from the Torah, particularly from the book of Exodus. "I always make reference to the Torah, maybe you noticed that. And I quote passages from the Torah, including the book of Exodus," Milei said in the interview.

During his visit to New York, Netanyahu also met with other presidents and leaders, including the presidents of Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, Ethiopia and the vice president of Colombia, as well as the prime ministers of Greece, Slovenia and Papua New Guinea. The visit was unusually brief this time, focused on the Prime Minister's address to the UN General Assembly.