From Avraham to Yitzhak: Israel and Argentina deepen cooperation

While some European countries are demanding a review of relations with Israel because of its actions in the Middle East, Tel Aviv is looking for new allies in another part of the world. Argentina and the Jewish state have signed the Yitzhak Agreements, which provide for direct flights and a joint fight against terrorism. Experts believe that this is an attempt by Israel to turn Latin America into one of the key areas of its foreign policy. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The new Union

Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires signed the "Yitzhak Agreement" on April 19. The agreement should become the basis for expanding economic, security, and technological cooperation between Israel and Latin American countries, as well as for deepening diplomatic and cultural ties.

The signing ceremony was held in Jerusalem with the participation of Argentine President Javier Miley, who also became the author of the initiative. During the joint statement, the Argentine leader delivered a speech in Spanish and thanked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He concluded his speech with his signature slogan: "Viva la libertad, carajo!" ("Long live freedom, damn it!").

In response, Benjamin Netanyahu expressed hope that the new agreement could play the same role for Latin America as the Abraham Accords for the Middle East: "Just as the Abraham Agreements have become a model for the countries of the region seeking peace, prosperity and security, the same thing can happen in Latin America. regarding our common goals and values."

The ceremony was also attended by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, which was an additional signal of Washington's support.

One of the first practical steps under the agreement is the joint fight against terrorism. This section includes nine articles aimed at preventing and suppressing terrorist activities and countering extremism. The agreement emphasizes that both countries consider it necessary to coordinate efforts in this area.

In addition, the parties agreed to launch direct flights between Israel and Argentina. Currently, the journey between Tel Aviv and Buenos Aires takes almost two days due to transfers. Direct flights are planned to be launched before the end of the year, so the flight will take about 16 hours.

In addition, the leaders of the two countries agreed to open a credit line for $150 million for Israeli companies operating in Argentina. A separate agreement was signed in the field of artificial intelligence between the National Headquarters for AI at the Ministry of the Head of the Government of Israel and the National Secretariat for Innovation, Science and Technology of Argentina.

Real prospects

Latin America remains one of the least developed, but at the same time the most promising foreign trade areas for Israel. According to World's Top Exports, in 2024, the countries of the region accounted for only 3.4% of Israeli commodity exports with a total supply of $61 billion. This figure in itself shows how great the potential for further growth is, Igor Rastorguev, a leading analyst at AMarkets, points out in an interview with Izvestia.

According to him, Israel's main asset is technology. The high-tech sector accounts for more than half of national exports, and defense supplies exceed $12 billion per year. In turn, Latin America is able to offer Tel Aviv what it lacks: agricultural resources, energy resources and raw materials.

Argentina is one of the world's largest suppliers of soybeans and beef, and together with Bolivia and Chile forms the so—called "lithium triangle", a region with the world's largest lithium reserves. Therefore, the logic of the new partnership is simple: Israeli technologies in the fields of water supply, precision agriculture and cybersecurity in exchange for access to the resources and markets of the region.

Such cooperation is already developing in practice. More than ten Argentine provinces are working with the Israeli state-owned company Mekorot in the field of water supply.

However, the new alliance probably will not be limited to Argentina alone. According to Olga Veretennikova, Vice president of the Borsell analytical company, the countries of the region can be roughly divided into two groups.

The first category includes the most likely candidates for joining the new format — Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia. Uruguay is interested in technologies to modernize agriculture and energy. Paraguay already has experience in cooperation with Israel in the agricultural sector and is looking for partners for infrastructure development and digitalization. Colombia, despite internal political fluctuations, remains one of the most open countries to foreign investment in the region and shows interest in security technologies.

— Chile and Brazil can consider point-to-point formats of interaction, especially in the field of water technology, medicine and innovation. But their political dynamics make the process less predictable," Veretennikova believes.

But the logic of the new block is not limited to economics. As Igor Rastorguev emphasizes, the "Yitzhak Agreements" are primarily attracted by countries with center-right and liberal governments, which are equally concerned about the strengthening of Iranian influence in the region.

"It is the anti—Iranian motive, and not just sympathy for Israel, that is becoming the main factor around which this alliance is being formed," the expert believes.

We are talking, first of all, about the activities of structures associated with Hezbollah and Iranian influence networks. In 2025, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, during a visit to Paraguay, directly accused Venezuela of serving as a "bridge" for Hezbollah and Hamas in the region.

Latin U-turn

For Israel, Latin America is gradually becoming one of the key areas of foreign policy, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe.

In recent years, relations between the Jewish state and a number of Western countries have become noticeably more complicated. In September 2025, Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and several other countries recognized Palestine. And the European Commission has proposed suspending trade preferences for Israel under the Association Agreement. Although the initiative was blocked by Germany, Italy and Hungary, the very fact of its appearance was an alarming signal for Tel Aviv.

— Against this background, Israel has begun to consistently build an alternative network of alliances. For example, in November 2025, Kazakhstan joined the "Abraham Agreements", and a month later Somaliland joined. Latin America in this strategy is not a random direction, but a deliberate bet: a region with a population of more than 650 million people, significant natural resources and a politically diverse but manageable landscape," Igor Rastorguev points out.

The region can be a way for Israel to reduce dependence on traditional partners and gain a foothold in fast-growing markets, agrees Olga Veretennikova. Moreover, Latin America is characterized by relatively low political involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts.

— The Yitzhak Agreements may not be a one-time initiative, but the beginning of a larger process. Israel is striving to gain a foothold in the region as a supplier of technology and security, and Latin American countries are seeking access to innovations that can accelerate their economic development, the Izvestia interlocutor believes.

However, not all experts are confident that the new initiative will quickly turn into a full-fledged Latin American equivalent of the Abraham Agreements. As political analyst Ilgar Velizade recalls, in the Middle East, the United States played a key role in concluding such agreements, acting as a mediator and guarantor. And in this case, the White House has not yet shown comparable activity.

— In addition, the position of the European Union may influence the development of the new partnership. The MERCOSUR countries have already signed a free trade agreement with the EU. If the rapprochement of Latin American states with Israel begins to affect the terms of this cooperation, Brussels may well publicly oppose it," the expert concluded.