Israel-Azerbaijan: Testing by Karabakh

Baku / 17.10.20 / Turan: The Azerbaijani-Israeli relations of the subject have become the focus of international discussion in the light of the latest aggravation of the military phase of the Karabakh conflict. The issue is not only about the use of Israeli weapons by Azerbaijan during the operation to occupy the territories of Israel, both at the level of the establishment and at the public level. A striking example of this is the failure of the collection of signatures in Israel by the Armenian community of the petition inviting Tel Aviv to end military cooperation with Azerbaijan.

What do they think about this in Azerbaijan? What is behind the warm relations of Jews with Azerbaijan and the country's large Shiite community? Turan agency turned to publicist and theologian Teimur Atayev for answers.

- Today, the Azerbaijani society is very actively monitoring which states and in what way are reacting to the events taking place in the region since September 27, 2020. In this series, significant attention is paid to Israel. In this regard, I would like to hear your opinion: does it only mutual understand in the field of military cooperation brings our states closer together?

- In my opinion, here it is advisable to take a broader look at this aspect. First, one must not forget that Baku Jews were in the first row of those who loudly raised their voices to break the anti-Azerbaijani information blockade in the early 1990s. This category of people who, having moved to Israel and other countries began to bring to the attention of the world community the real picture connected with the presence of Azerbaijani refugees and the loss of territories because of the Armenian aggression.

Well, the next step is to define a rather interesting development of events in refraction to the relationship between Azerbaijan and the Jews. The Jews are far from only Israel. In 1997, at a reception organized by the Organization of the Conference of Presidents of the US Jewish Communities, Heydar Aliyev said, “We do not have a lobby in America, but the Armenians have a very strong lobby.”  Then he stressed, the Azerbaijani lobby “will be here”, and “they will be our friends, including the Jewish communities in the United States, you will be them. I am optimistic for this."

In 1999, during a meeting of a delegation of US Jewish organizations with Heydar Aliyev, the then deputy chair of the American Jewish Committee on Governmental and International Affairs, Borri Jacobs, said that the structure was applying “maximum efforts” in the context of supporting Azerbaijan’s position. He said, “We understand very well what situation your country, we understand the situation of a million refugees."

That is, mutual understanding between Jews and Azerbaijanis is based not only on some mutually beneficial political and economic ties. We can clearly see a number of other lines that bring our peoples closer together.

- How was this nuance reflected in the context of the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani troops?

- On the very first day of the response actions of the Azerbaijani side against the next surge of aggressive aspirations of Armenia against Azerbaijan, the International Association "Israel-Azerbaijan" (AzIz) made a statement. It reads that Armenia, which occupied 20% of the territories of Azerbaijan, "not only did not intend to liberate the occupied lands, but also disrupted peace negotiations with Azerbaijan." In this connection, the members of the association demanded from Yerevan "to stop the occupation policy, to release all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan to establish peace in the Caucasus!"

On October 15, AzIz sent an appeal to the President, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Knesset and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel, as well as to the head of the Israel-Azerbaijan inter-parliamentary friendship group.  The appeal recording the suppression of the facts of shelling of peaceful Azerbaijani cities located far from the conflict zone, the casualties among their civilians. The appeal stated that the pressure on Israel “from the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, as well as prominent figures of the Armenian diaspora in Israel, in order to convince the leadership of the Jewish state to abandon its contractual obligations to the Republic of Azerbaijan and stop the supply of weapons and military equipment to this country."

Having actualized the "preservation of good relations and cooperation with Azerbaijan" proceeding from the channel of "Israel's strategic interests", the members of "AzIz" called on the government, the Knesset and public circles of the country "not to succumb to this pressure, to remain faithful to the obligations undertaken before Azerbaijan, and terminate any diplomatic contacts with the Republic of Armenia”.

- The appeal and statement you cited were made by public organizations. Were there any statements on this score from the Israeli leadership?

Due to the fact that on October 1, Armenia recalled the ambassador to Israel for consultations, justifying this with the supply of weapons from the country to Azerbaijan, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin stressed in a telephone conversation with Armenian President Armen Sarkissian that "Israel's relations with Azerbaijan are not directed against third countries." ...

More important and significant, I would say, in this perspective, is what the Israeli media said, literally two days after the start of the counter-offensive operation of the Azerbaijani army, by the former Foreign Minister and ex-Minister of Defense of Israel, the leader of the Israel Our Home (NDI) party, Member of the Knesset Avigdor Lieberman. He stated that, "from the point of view of international law, historical facts and, most importantly, the interests of the State of Israel, the truth is on the side of Azerbaijan." Noting that he is very often “silent” about the occupation of seven regions by the Armenian side, “which have nothing to do with Nagorno-Karabakh,” he stressed the impossibility of keeping the conflict in a “frozen state”. Moreover, in the aspect of "international law, Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan", in light of which "not a single country belonging to the UN (including Armenia itself) recognizes the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh."

At the same time, A. Lieberman called Azerbaijan one of "the most tolerant countries towards Jews", the attitude towards which on the territory of the country "has not changed for centuries." Even "in the midst of the frenzied Soviet anti-Semitism, there was no anti-Semitism or prejudice against Jews." With the acquisition of independence by Azerbaijan, the relations of this state with Israel "were at the highest level." Moreover, Azerbaijan "proved itself as a serious, reliable partner, which has never violated its obligations on bilateral relations and behaved very restrainedly in the international arena." Stressing, “Our relations with Azerbaijan are broad, deep, strategic, while with Armenia they are at a minimum level,” A. Lieberman stated the country's full support for the “territorial integrity of Azerbaijan”. "From all points of view - historical, international and national interests," he summed up, "this is Israel's official position."

Thus, I repeat that, as we can see, not only the defense sphere is a bridge to mutual understanding between Israel and Azerbaijan. This confirmed yesterday's rally of the Jewish community in the Israeli city of Petah-Tikva in support of Azerbaijan on the return of the Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia, where the condemnation of the attacks on the country's civilians by the aggressor state was voiced.