Israel and the Jewish people could use some good news these days, and our most promising headlines for the future are now emerging in Spanish as two developments are converging: a political realignment across Latin America and the rise of the Isaac Accords.
The shift also brings the Latin American media environment into sharper focus as a critical arena shaping ties between Israel and the region, and increasingly, Israel’s relationship with the United States.
A dramatic geopolitical shift and the dawn of the Isaac Accords
The pace of change is striking. Just weeks ago, Colombia’s outgoing president posted “Heil Hitler” and compared Israel to Nazi Germany. Since then, the country has elected a new leader who has pledged to strengthen ties with Israel “like never before.”
Chile, home to the largest Palestinian population outside the Middle East, withdrew its ambassador after the October 7 massacre. Its new government is now rebuilding engagement with Israel.
Bolivia, long aligned with Iran and among Israel’s most vocal critics, restored diplomatic relations.
The Isaac Accords are taking shape as two decades of Latin American governments hostile to Israel recede and are replaced by new leadership.
The name echoes the Abraham Accords, which, beginning in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority states. These ties endured despite the Gaza war and confrontation with Iran.
In April, Argentina’s President Javier Milei signed the Isaac Accords, less than a year after their launch. In that short time, Argentina deepened its relationship with Israel, increased economic and security cooperation, and designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Costa Rica, Ecuador, Paraguay, and several other countries in the hemisphere have moved closer to Israel this year through a series of significant steps, and the implications extend to the United States.
The US Hispanic connection
US Hispanics now make up roughly one in five Americans, a share projected to approach one in three by 2050. Most remain closely tied to their countries of origin, following political, economic, and cultural debates that continue to inform life across borders.
For many, views of Israel are formed more through media and public conversation rather than direct experience. This dynamic raises the stakes in the battle for public opinion as support for Israel wanes across political lines and antisemitism and anti-Zionism become more entrenched throughout society, from local politics to college campuses.
The good news is that US Latinos show lower levels of antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment than any other group. But that balance should not be taken for granted.
Today, in the Spanish-language information space, much of the messaging directed at Latino audiences comes from Israel’s enemies. Iran, Hezbollah, Qatar, and others target Spanish speakers through widely consumed media outlets, actively framing how events are understood and interpreted on phones and in homes across Latin America and the U.S.
It was the unchallenged persistence of anti-Israel defamation in Spanish-language media that prompted me to create Fuente Latina in 2012. Since then, we have brought thousands of journalists and creators to experience Israel directly, facilitated tens of thousands of stories in leading Hispanic outlets, and built a network of trusted allies.
Telling Our Own Story
As the Isaac Accords expand, engaging the world’s 650 million Spanish speakers is vital. The best way to do so is through our media initiatives and tailored Israel experiences, allowing Latin Americans and US Hispanics to engage these developments not only as news, but as realities with direct relevance to their own lives.
The Isaac Accords mark a meaningful step forward for both Israel and Latin America, and Hispanics are positioned to play an increasingly central role in the future of the US-Israel relationship.
But we must invest more in telling our own story in the language of our audience, in ways they can easily access. Because when Israel and the Jewish people do not tell our story, others inevitably will.
Leah Soibel, founder and CEO of Fuente Latina, is a Hispanic-American Israeli who has been working for over two decades to ensure accurate coverage of Israel and the Jewish world in non-Jewish Hispanic media.
This op-ed is published in partnership with a coalition of organizations that fight antisemitism across the world. Read the previous article by Harry Zimmerman.
Source:
www.jpost.com
