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Argentina’s President Javier Milei to Receive $1 Million Genesis Prize During Israel Visit
Argentina’s President Javier Milei attends a commemoration event ahead of the anniversary of the 1994 bombing attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) community center, marking the 30th anniversary of the attack, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 17, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Martin Cassarini
Argentine President Javier Milei is set to receive the prestigious $1 million Genesis Prize during his visit to Israel next month, honoring his strong advocacy for the Jewish state and commitment to Jewish values.
After postponing a planned visit in March, Milei is now scheduled to receive the award during a June 11 ceremony at Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, where he will also deliver a formal address.
During his visit, he is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Jewish state to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and antisemitism. He is also scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a press release earlier this year, The Genesis Prize Foundation announced Milei as the 2025 Genesis Prize Laureate, recognizing what the organization described as his unwavering support for Israel, dedication to democratic values, and resolute fight against terrorism and antisemitism.
“The Prize Selection Committee unanimously chose Milei — the first head of state to receive the award — for his unequivocal and vocal support of Israel during one of the most difficult times since the founding of the Jewish State,” the statement read.
Congratulations to President of Argentina @JMilei, announced today as the 2025 Genesis Prize Laureate. The Prize Selection Committee unanimously chose Milei – the first head of state to receive the award – for his unequivocal and vocal support of Israel during one of the most… pic.twitter.com/baY24lL5Yh
— The Genesis Prize (@TheGenesisPrize) January 14, 2025
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.”
“President Milei is a true hero of the Jewish people,” Stan Polovets, co-founder and chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, said in a statement. “Unlike leaders of many other countries around the world who either remained quiet, pressured and — in some cases — sanctioned Israel, President Milei has unequivocally supported the Jewish people and their state.”
“This award reflects Israel’s heartfelt appreciation for the president and the people of Argentina. A friend in need is a friend indeed,” he continued.
Past winners include director Steven Spielberg, the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, actress Natalie Portman, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and violinist Itzhak Perlman.
Milei announced he will donate the prize money to support a new initiative dedicated to deepening diplomatic ties between Israel and Latin American nations and tackling antisemitism throughout the region.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Genesis Prize,” Milei said in a statement. “I will donate [the prize] to causes that support freedom and the fight against antisemitism, both in Argentina and around the world.”
“I have deep admiration for Israel, its history, and its people. The Jewish people have shown throughout their history that resilience and the defense of freedom are essential to overcoming any challenge,” the South America leader continued. “This spirit is a cornerstone of the relationship between Argentina and Israel, and I will work to further strengthen our ties.”
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.
He is being recognized not only for reversing Argentina’s decades-long pattern of anti-Israel votes at the United Nations, but also for his efforts to combat terrorism. These include the designation of Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations and the reopening of investigations into the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy and the 1994 terrorist attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Less than a year after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught in Israel, Milei’s administration designated the Palestinian Islamist group as a terrorist organization — making Argentina the first Latin American country to do so — with Paraguay joining the effort just last month.
The Argentine president has also activated Interpol red notices in connection with the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. Last month, the lead prosecutor in the case petitioned Argentina’s federal court to issue national and international arrest warrants for Iran’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over his alleged involvement in the deadly terrorist attack.
In a significant shift from the country’s previous approach to the case, Sebastián Basso — who succeeded former prosecutor Alberto Nisman after his murder in 2015 — argued that Khamenei was directly involved in planning the 1994 AMIA bombing. This was the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history, in which 85 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.
In February 2024, on his first international trip as president, Milei visited Israel in a show of wartime solidarity and reiterated his pledge to move Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem.
Earlier this year, more than 30 members of the Argentine Congress signed a Declaration of Solidarity and Friendship with the State of Israel in the Buenos Aires parliament. The declaration emphasized their unwavering support for Israel’s right to exist in peace and security, while also expressing strong backing for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
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