Argentine President Javier Milei received the Genesis Prize during a visit to Israel on June 11, 2025, becoming the first non-Jewish recipient of the award. Organisers selected him for what they described as his unequivocal support for Israel.

The prize, sometimes promoted by its foundation as a “Jewish Nobel,” included $1 million and was presented at a ceremony in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Previous recipients included actors and filmmakers Natalie Portman, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg and Michael Douglas. Milei’s selection marked a departure from the award’s previous practice of honouring Jewish figures.

Milei addressed Israeli lawmakers during the visit, becoming the first Argentine president to deliver a speech in the Knesset. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was present. The Argentine leader also met families of people taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack.

In his parliamentary remarks, Milei said Argentina planned to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem in 2026, reaffirming a pledge he had made earlier. The announcement drew applause in the chamber. The proposed relocation represented another visible expression of the close alignment with Israel cited by the prize organisers.

The visit included plans for Argentina and Israel to sign a memorandum concerning counterterrorism and to announce a direct air connection between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv. The reporting described those steps as scheduled for the following day rather than completed on June 11. Milei was then due to continue his international trip in Madrid.

The Genesis Prize ceremony took place against a politically charged backdrop. One source characterised Milei as a controversial choice and stressed that no non-Jew had previously received the honour. Another reported the award alongside the president’s criticism of climate activist Greta Thunberg and his defence of his domestic fiscal policy. Those remarks were separate from the formal basis given by organisers for the prize.

The award did not represent an action by the Israeli government, although the Knesset hosted the ceremony and the trip involved meetings with senior officials. Its stated purpose in this instance was to recognise Milei’s political support for Israel.

By combining the presentation with a Knesset address and announcements about diplomatic and transport ties, the visit highlighted the president’s effort to deepen Argentina’s relationship with Israel. The first-time selection of a non-Jewish recipient also expanded the profile of the prize beyond the community from which all earlier honourees had been drawn.