Tweet
WHY AZERBAIJAN HAS NO FULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL
Journal of Turkish Weekly
http://www.turkishweekly.net/op-ed/2437/why -azerbaijan-has-no-full-diplomatic-relations-with- israel.html
Dec 25 2008
Turkey
Azerbaijan and Israel has a developed relationship on the economical
and political spheres and Israel consider Azerbaijan as its important
strategic partner in the region. But despite of the developed
relationship between these states Azerbaijan has no full diplomatic
relation with Israel. This factor has a great impact on the relations
between two states. During her interview with the Azerbaijani news
agency Today.Az, Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni also addressed a
statement to the Azerbaijani government that why Azerbaijani embassy
has not been opened in Israel. For answering this question we have
to look at the historical development of the relations between these
two countries and analyze the reason why Azerbaijan has not opened
its embassy in Israel.
Azerbaijan is the third Muslim country after Turkey and Egypt to
develop bilateral strategic and economic relations with Israel. It
established relations with Israel after gaining its independence in
1991. Azerbaijan is a secular state with eight million predominantly
Shiite and ethnically Turkic population. But despite it is religious
view, Azerbaijan has no anti-Semitic tradition in its history. Even
from the late 19th century, Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan,
became one of the centres of the Zionist movement in the Russian empire
and the first Havevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) was created here in 1891,
followed by the first Zionist organization in 1899.
The movement remained strong in the short-lived Democratic Republic
of Azerbaijan (1918-1920) marked with the establishment of the Jewish
Popular University in 1919, and a number of schools, social clubs,
benevolent societies and cultural organizations. Even the Minister of
Health, Dr. Yevsei Gindes, of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
was an Ashkenazi Jew.
Following history we know that, Russia was one of the birth places
of the anti-Semitism in Europe. Because of that reason, with the
occupation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union in 1920, all Jews
organizations in Azerbaijan were closed. Beginning in the 1960s,
Azerbaijani Jewish community has experienced cultural revival. Jewish
samizdat (Samostoyatelnoe Izdatelstvo-independent publication,
during the Soviet Union there was such a publication, which had no
connection to the state) publication began. Many cultural and Zionist
organizations were re-established in Baku and Sumgait since 1987,
and the first legal Hebrew courses and the first Jews Sochnut School
in the Soviet Union was opened in Baku, in 1982.
Today the country has prided itself on its good relations with
Israel and Jewish minority in the country. Azerbaijan is a home to
some 11,000 Mountain Jews, residing primarily in Baku and Krasnaya
Sloboda settlement in the Quba district of Azerbaijan. There are also
nearly 5000 Ashkenazi Jews living mostly in Baku.
While looking at the relations of Israel with the Azerbaijan Republic,
since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has a good relation on
the field of strategic matters, security, and trade, cultural and
educational exchange with Israel. After independence of Azerbaijan,
there were diplomatic negotiations over the exchange ambassadors
between the two states. Eliezer Yotvat appointed as a first ambassador
of Israel to Azerbaijan. But the embassy of Azerbaijan has not been
open in Israel.
In October 2001, President of Azerbaijan, Haydar Aliyev pledged
to open an embassy in Israel and sent his Foreign Minister to
visit Israeli government. But until today Azerbaijan has not
fulfilled its responsibility to open an embassy in Israel, because
of some political events. Azerbaijan has said that, its complicated
geopolitical situation, particularly its proximity to Iran, as well
as its membership in international Islamic organizations, prevented
it from opening a mission in Israel.
But despite all these, Azerbaijan-Israel strategic cooperation
grows step by step; even Azerbaijani government has an unofficial
representative, AZAL (Azerbaijan National Airline), in Israel.
Iran Islamic Republic was worry about the development of the relation
between Azerbaijan and Israel. For that reason after Ilham Aliyev
became the president of Azerbaijan in October 2003, Iran, the biggest
threat for Israel in the Middle East, tried to improve the diplomatic
relations with Azerbaijan in favour of cutting relations with
Israel. Even several high-level Iranian military officers visited Baku
in August 2004, intended Azerbaijan to cease security cooperation with
Israel and stop receiving Israeli military and intelligence officers.
But for Azerbaijan to have relationship with Israel is much more
important than Iran, because Israel was one of the strategic partners
and supporters of Azerbaijan in Karabakh War with Armenia. As a
result of Nagorno-Karabakh War, nearly 20% of Azerbaijan territory
was occupied by Armenian troops and till today it has been under
the control of Armenia. The war caused almost one million Azeris to
flee from Armenia and the occupied territories. In this war Iran and
Russia traditionally supported Armenia. When war broke out, Iran just
remained largely neutral despite the fact that a large Shiite majority
inhabited Azerbaijan. Iran, a country ruled by Muslim Shiites, has an
Azeri ethnic minority population living in the northwest corner of the
country, known as "southern Azerbaijan", totaling more than 25 million
people, compared with a population in Azerbaijan of 8 million. During
the Nagorno-Garabagh conflict, Iran was suspicious that, support for
Azerbaijan against Armenia would encourage for unification between
the two "divided" Azerbaijan that had been separated by the Persian
and Russian Empires since the 19th century. Because of these Iran
supported Armenia against Azerbaijan. Even in April 1992, for example,
Iran supplied natural gas and fuel to Armenia, which helped sustain
Armenian action. Iranian-Armenian cooperation seems to be developed in
future, and currently there are negotiations over the construction of
Armenia-Iran railway and building a new gas pipeline. Iran is using
Armenia as a potential buffer to insulate against the future rise of
power of Azerbaijan.
But looking at the other side of the coin, in April 1993, in
response to the Armenian occupation of Azeri lands, Turkey closed its
border with Armenia. Throughout the conflict Israel also supported
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. According to London based
Arabic language weekly al-Wassat, during Nagorno-Karabakh War Israel
and Turkey have provided Stinger missiles to Azerbaijan. Even many
Azerbaijanis expressed the hope that friendship with Israel may
help resolve the continued Nagorno-Karabakh dispute and expatiate
Azerbaijan's integration with the West.
Israel also provides training for Azerbaijani security and intelligence
services, as well as security for the Azerbaijani president during his
foreign visits. Israel might have also set up electronic listening
stations along the Caspian Sea and Iranian border. In sum, Iran and
Armenia see that, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is a big
threat for Iranian-Armenian relations, and also see Azerbaijan as
a part of a geostrategic axis that also includes Turkey, historical
"enemy" of Armenia, Israel, and Georgia. For that reason they want
to disrupt that axis.
Another aspect of warm relations between Israel and Azerbaijan is
currently evolving strategic partnership of both countries with Turkey
and United States. By this cooperation, Azerbaijan and Turkey try to
ensure the support of the Israel-American lobby for preventing the
attempt of a small but powerful Armenian-American lobby to influence
over the US foreign policy toward these countries.
During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in
1997 to Baku, the relations entered a new phase. Since that time
Israel has been developing closer relations with Azerbaijan for
modernizing the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. Israeli military have
been a major provider of battlefield aviation, artillery, antitank,
and anti-infantry weapon to Azerbaijan.
After 9/11 terror attacks Azerbaijan took side with America as an ally
against world terrorism. Since that event a new sphere of cooperation
has emerged in security with the US. Azerbaijan has provided an air
corridor for American military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and
has joined the US led coalition in Iraq. These events also improved
the Azerbaijan-Israel relations strategically, because Israel is one
of the major partners of the US in the Middle East.
The Azerbaijan-Israel Friendship Society facilitates and promotes
bilateral diplomatic and business links. After the creation of the
relations, economic cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan has
been growing significantly. Attempting to deregulate industry and to
create free market and liberal economy, attracted Israeli companies
to Azerbaijani markets. Many companies have invested in the service
sector. Bakcell, which was started as a joint venture between Ministry
of Communication of Azerbaijan and GTIB (Israel) in early 1994 as a
first cellular telephone operator in the country, can be good example.
According to the President of the Azerbaijan-Israel Business Forum,
many Israeli companies also operate in energy sector of Azerbaijan. For
instance, an Israeli based supplier of high technology to the energy
industry, mainly oil and gas field, Modcom System Ltd. opened an
office in Azerbaijan in 2000. According to UN statistical analyses,
the exports of Azerbaijan have increased from US$2 million to $323
million between 1997 and 2004. Israel was the largest importer
of Azerbaijani oil after Italy in 2002. There is a growing covert
collaboration in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and Israel.
On June 5, 2005, the 14th Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition were opened
in Baku. In his speech during the exhibition Arthur Lenk, Ambassador
of Israel to Azerbaijan since April, 2005, talked about continuous
trade between Azerbaijan and Israel in energy sector. "-Israel and
Azerbaijan have close political and economical relations. The main
thing is that Israel buys Azerbaijan's oil through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline. Interstate relations are also strengthening and the
ministries of the two countries pay mutual visits. Azerbaijani Economic
Development Minister Heydar Babayev visited Israel in February, chief
of State Committee for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad Nazim Ibrahimov in
April and Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov visited Israel two weeks
ago. Israeli Foreign Ministry official Joseph Gal has also visited
Azerbaijan recently. Deputies Prime Minister - Minister of Strategic
Planning Avigdor Liberman and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz will visit
Azerbaijan in the second half of this year. Our positions coincide in
most strategic issues. I think that the relations between Azerbaijan
and Israel are of strategic character".
The Ambassador also mentioned that, Israel could be strategic partner
for selling Caspian oil to Asia through Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline. "-Over
the past year, discussions have begun examining the feasibility of
a pipeline corridor-with the possibility of carrying oil and natural
gas from Turkey to Israel. Such a plan, if carried out, would extend
the position of Azerbaijan crude oil to the edge of the Indian Ocean",
he said.
All these statement show that, Israel is seeking for possibilities of
importing gas from the Caspian Sea region, because it is surrendered
with oil reach countries, but has no chance to get it. Due to
partnership with Azerbaijan is significant for Israel.
Coming to the future of the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel,
it is quite unclear. Because as I mentioned above Azerbaijan is
a member of the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference),
which created in 1969 in response to the defeat of Arab coalition
in 1967 War (Six Day War) and one of main targetof the Organization
was regaining of the holy lands, which was occupied by Israel after
gaining its independence in 1947, with the UN Partition Plan (United
Nation General Assembly Resolution 181).
Today, Arab World demanded withdrawing of Israel from the sacred
places according to the United Nation Resolution 242 and 339
(According to these Resolution Israel has to withdraw till the 1947
borders). Azerbaijan also supports this plan in the favour of Arab
World. Even in resent Israel Lebanon War Azerbaijan was one of the
eight OIC states, which sent an ultimatum to Israel for stopping
violent action in Lebanon. Azerbaijan also agreed to send peacekeeping
forces to Lebanon.
Developing diplomatic relation with Israel will provoke Iran against
Azerbaijan, in a period of escalation of Iran-America-Israel
relation. That is a great threat for the security of
Azerbaijan. Because Iran several times declared that, if the US
declares war against us, the first target will be the US allies in the
Middle East. Today the tension between America and Iran is very high,
and Israel is one of the big supporters of America in this issue
and the first target of Iran. Developing full diplomatic relations
with Israel can damage the relations with one of the most important
neighbours of Azerbaijan. For that reason balancing policy can be
good diplomacy during this period.
But following all of these factors Azerbaijan has good economic
and cultural relations with Israel. Even, according to Azerbaijani
officials, Azerbaijan plans to open a trade office in Israel, which
will represent the Azerbaijani government in Israel. In an interview
with The Jerusalem Post, Foreign Minister Elmar Memmedyarov also
added that "having full diplomatic relations will happen for sure".
Israel investors are interested not only in the energy sector,
but also in agriculture, Azerbaijan's largest employer and second
largest sector after oil. And Azerbaijan is a tolerant state, and
ready to develop good relations with any country, as long as, these
relations will not damage its security, national interests and also
international prestige.
REFERENCE:
1. Hilary Leila Krieger: May 17, 2006,"Azerbaijan to open trade office
in Israel", Jerusalem Post
2. Ilya Bourtman: Summer 2006, "Israel and Azerbaijan's Furtive
Embrace", Middle East Quarterly, pp.47-57
3. Israeli Ambassador: 27 June 2007 "Azerbaijan and Israel have
strategic relations",
http://www.azertag.com/index_en. html
4. Joanna Sloame: July 10, 2006 "The Virtual Jewish History Tour
Azerbaijan"
http://www.jewishvirtuallib rary.org/jsource/vjw/Azerbaijan.html
5. Lev Krichevsky: February 9-13, 2006, "In meeting with
Jews, Azeri leader hints at stronger relations with Israel,
http://www.ncsj.org/AuxPages/021306Azerbai jan.shtml
6. Soner Cagaptay and Alexandr Murinson: March30, 2005, "Good Relation
between Azerbaijan and Israel: A Model for Other Muslim States in
Eurasia?" The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
7. Shamkhal Abilov, 25 July, 2007, Interview with Dr. Rovshan Ibrahimov
8. Day.Az interview with Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni, 10
November 2008, http://www.today.az/news/politics/48863.html
Journal of Turkish Weekly
http://www.turkishweekly.net/op-ed/2437/why -azerbaijan-has-no-full-diplomatic-relations-with- israel.html
Dec 25 2008
Turkey
Azerbaijan and Israel has a developed relationship on the economical
and political spheres and Israel consider Azerbaijan as its important
strategic partner in the region. But despite of the developed
relationship between these states Azerbaijan has no full diplomatic
relation with Israel. This factor has a great impact on the relations
between two states. During her interview with the Azerbaijani news
agency Today.Az, Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni also addressed a
statement to the Azerbaijani government that why Azerbaijani embassy
has not been opened in Israel. For answering this question we have
to look at the historical development of the relations between these
two countries and analyze the reason why Azerbaijan has not opened
its embassy in Israel.
Azerbaijan is the third Muslim country after Turkey and Egypt to
develop bilateral strategic and economic relations with Israel. It
established relations with Israel after gaining its independence in
1991. Azerbaijan is a secular state with eight million predominantly
Shiite and ethnically Turkic population. But despite it is religious
view, Azerbaijan has no anti-Semitic tradition in its history. Even
from the late 19th century, Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan,
became one of the centres of the Zionist movement in the Russian empire
and the first Havevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) was created here in 1891,
followed by the first Zionist organization in 1899.
The movement remained strong in the short-lived Democratic Republic
of Azerbaijan (1918-1920) marked with the establishment of the Jewish
Popular University in 1919, and a number of schools, social clubs,
benevolent societies and cultural organizations. Even the Minister of
Health, Dr. Yevsei Gindes, of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan
was an Ashkenazi Jew.
Following history we know that, Russia was one of the birth places
of the anti-Semitism in Europe. Because of that reason, with the
occupation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union in 1920, all Jews
organizations in Azerbaijan were closed. Beginning in the 1960s,
Azerbaijani Jewish community has experienced cultural revival. Jewish
samizdat (Samostoyatelnoe Izdatelstvo-independent publication,
during the Soviet Union there was such a publication, which had no
connection to the state) publication began. Many cultural and Zionist
organizations were re-established in Baku and Sumgait since 1987,
and the first legal Hebrew courses and the first Jews Sochnut School
in the Soviet Union was opened in Baku, in 1982.
Today the country has prided itself on its good relations with
Israel and Jewish minority in the country. Azerbaijan is a home to
some 11,000 Mountain Jews, residing primarily in Baku and Krasnaya
Sloboda settlement in the Quba district of Azerbaijan. There are also
nearly 5000 Ashkenazi Jews living mostly in Baku.
While looking at the relations of Israel with the Azerbaijan Republic,
since its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has a good relation on
the field of strategic matters, security, and trade, cultural and
educational exchange with Israel. After independence of Azerbaijan,
there were diplomatic negotiations over the exchange ambassadors
between the two states. Eliezer Yotvat appointed as a first ambassador
of Israel to Azerbaijan. But the embassy of Azerbaijan has not been
open in Israel.
In October 2001, President of Azerbaijan, Haydar Aliyev pledged
to open an embassy in Israel and sent his Foreign Minister to
visit Israeli government. But until today Azerbaijan has not
fulfilled its responsibility to open an embassy in Israel, because
of some political events. Azerbaijan has said that, its complicated
geopolitical situation, particularly its proximity to Iran, as well
as its membership in international Islamic organizations, prevented
it from opening a mission in Israel.
But despite all these, Azerbaijan-Israel strategic cooperation
grows step by step; even Azerbaijani government has an unofficial
representative, AZAL (Azerbaijan National Airline), in Israel.
Iran Islamic Republic was worry about the development of the relation
between Azerbaijan and Israel. For that reason after Ilham Aliyev
became the president of Azerbaijan in October 2003, Iran, the biggest
threat for Israel in the Middle East, tried to improve the diplomatic
relations with Azerbaijan in favour of cutting relations with
Israel. Even several high-level Iranian military officers visited Baku
in August 2004, intended Azerbaijan to cease security cooperation with
Israel and stop receiving Israeli military and intelligence officers.
But for Azerbaijan to have relationship with Israel is much more
important than Iran, because Israel was one of the strategic partners
and supporters of Azerbaijan in Karabakh War with Armenia. As a
result of Nagorno-Karabakh War, nearly 20% of Azerbaijan territory
was occupied by Armenian troops and till today it has been under
the control of Armenia. The war caused almost one million Azeris to
flee from Armenia and the occupied territories. In this war Iran and
Russia traditionally supported Armenia. When war broke out, Iran just
remained largely neutral despite the fact that a large Shiite majority
inhabited Azerbaijan. Iran, a country ruled by Muslim Shiites, has an
Azeri ethnic minority population living in the northwest corner of the
country, known as "southern Azerbaijan", totaling more than 25 million
people, compared with a population in Azerbaijan of 8 million. During
the Nagorno-Garabagh conflict, Iran was suspicious that, support for
Azerbaijan against Armenia would encourage for unification between
the two "divided" Azerbaijan that had been separated by the Persian
and Russian Empires since the 19th century. Because of these Iran
supported Armenia against Azerbaijan. Even in April 1992, for example,
Iran supplied natural gas and fuel to Armenia, which helped sustain
Armenian action. Iranian-Armenian cooperation seems to be developed in
future, and currently there are negotiations over the construction of
Armenia-Iran railway and building a new gas pipeline. Iran is using
Armenia as a potential buffer to insulate against the future rise of
power of Azerbaijan.
But looking at the other side of the coin, in April 1993, in
response to the Armenian occupation of Azeri lands, Turkey closed its
border with Armenia. Throughout the conflict Israel also supported
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. According to London based
Arabic language weekly al-Wassat, during Nagorno-Karabakh War Israel
and Turkey have provided Stinger missiles to Azerbaijan. Even many
Azerbaijanis expressed the hope that friendship with Israel may
help resolve the continued Nagorno-Karabakh dispute and expatiate
Azerbaijan's integration with the West.
Israel also provides training for Azerbaijani security and intelligence
services, as well as security for the Azerbaijani president during his
foreign visits. Israel might have also set up electronic listening
stations along the Caspian Sea and Iranian border. In sum, Iran and
Armenia see that, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is a big
threat for Iranian-Armenian relations, and also see Azerbaijan as
a part of a geostrategic axis that also includes Turkey, historical
"enemy" of Armenia, Israel, and Georgia. For that reason they want
to disrupt that axis.
Another aspect of warm relations between Israel and Azerbaijan is
currently evolving strategic partnership of both countries with Turkey
and United States. By this cooperation, Azerbaijan and Turkey try to
ensure the support of the Israel-American lobby for preventing the
attempt of a small but powerful Armenian-American lobby to influence
over the US foreign policy toward these countries.
During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in
1997 to Baku, the relations entered a new phase. Since that time
Israel has been developing closer relations with Azerbaijan for
modernizing the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. Israeli military have
been a major provider of battlefield aviation, artillery, antitank,
and anti-infantry weapon to Azerbaijan.
After 9/11 terror attacks Azerbaijan took side with America as an ally
against world terrorism. Since that event a new sphere of cooperation
has emerged in security with the US. Azerbaijan has provided an air
corridor for American military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq and
has joined the US led coalition in Iraq. These events also improved
the Azerbaijan-Israel relations strategically, because Israel is one
of the major partners of the US in the Middle East.
The Azerbaijan-Israel Friendship Society facilitates and promotes
bilateral diplomatic and business links. After the creation of the
relations, economic cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan has
been growing significantly. Attempting to deregulate industry and to
create free market and liberal economy, attracted Israeli companies
to Azerbaijani markets. Many companies have invested in the service
sector. Bakcell, which was started as a joint venture between Ministry
of Communication of Azerbaijan and GTIB (Israel) in early 1994 as a
first cellular telephone operator in the country, can be good example.
According to the President of the Azerbaijan-Israel Business Forum,
many Israeli companies also operate in energy sector of Azerbaijan. For
instance, an Israeli based supplier of high technology to the energy
industry, mainly oil and gas field, Modcom System Ltd. opened an
office in Azerbaijan in 2000. According to UN statistical analyses,
the exports of Azerbaijan have increased from US$2 million to $323
million between 1997 and 2004. Israel was the largest importer
of Azerbaijani oil after Italy in 2002. There is a growing covert
collaboration in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and Israel.
On June 5, 2005, the 14th Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition were opened
in Baku. In his speech during the exhibition Arthur Lenk, Ambassador
of Israel to Azerbaijan since April, 2005, talked about continuous
trade between Azerbaijan and Israel in energy sector. "-Israel and
Azerbaijan have close political and economical relations. The main
thing is that Israel buys Azerbaijan's oil through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline. Interstate relations are also strengthening and the
ministries of the two countries pay mutual visits. Azerbaijani Economic
Development Minister Heydar Babayev visited Israel in February, chief
of State Committee for Azerbaijanis Living Abroad Nazim Ibrahimov in
April and Transport Minister Ziya Mammadov visited Israel two weeks
ago. Israeli Foreign Ministry official Joseph Gal has also visited
Azerbaijan recently. Deputies Prime Minister - Minister of Strategic
Planning Avigdor Liberman and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz will visit
Azerbaijan in the second half of this year. Our positions coincide in
most strategic issues. I think that the relations between Azerbaijan
and Israel are of strategic character".
The Ambassador also mentioned that, Israel could be strategic partner
for selling Caspian oil to Asia through Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline. "-Over
the past year, discussions have begun examining the feasibility of
a pipeline corridor-with the possibility of carrying oil and natural
gas from Turkey to Israel. Such a plan, if carried out, would extend
the position of Azerbaijan crude oil to the edge of the Indian Ocean",
he said.
All these statement show that, Israel is seeking for possibilities of
importing gas from the Caspian Sea region, because it is surrendered
with oil reach countries, but has no chance to get it. Due to
partnership with Azerbaijan is significant for Israel.
Coming to the future of the relations between Azerbaijan and Israel,
it is quite unclear. Because as I mentioned above Azerbaijan is
a member of the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference),
which created in 1969 in response to the defeat of Arab coalition
in 1967 War (Six Day War) and one of main targetof the Organization
was regaining of the holy lands, which was occupied by Israel after
gaining its independence in 1947, with the UN Partition Plan (United
Nation General Assembly Resolution 181).
Today, Arab World demanded withdrawing of Israel from the sacred
places according to the United Nation Resolution 242 and 339
(According to these Resolution Israel has to withdraw till the 1947
borders). Azerbaijan also supports this plan in the favour of Arab
World. Even in resent Israel Lebanon War Azerbaijan was one of the
eight OIC states, which sent an ultimatum to Israel for stopping
violent action in Lebanon. Azerbaijan also agreed to send peacekeeping
forces to Lebanon.
Developing diplomatic relation with Israel will provoke Iran against
Azerbaijan, in a period of escalation of Iran-America-Israel
relation. That is a great threat for the security of
Azerbaijan. Because Iran several times declared that, if the US
declares war against us, the first target will be the US allies in the
Middle East. Today the tension between America and Iran is very high,
and Israel is one of the big supporters of America in this issue
and the first target of Iran. Developing full diplomatic relations
with Israel can damage the relations with one of the most important
neighbours of Azerbaijan. For that reason balancing policy can be
good diplomacy during this period.
But following all of these factors Azerbaijan has good economic
and cultural relations with Israel. Even, according to Azerbaijani
officials, Azerbaijan plans to open a trade office in Israel, which
will represent the Azerbaijani government in Israel. In an interview
with The Jerusalem Post, Foreign Minister Elmar Memmedyarov also
added that "having full diplomatic relations will happen for sure".
Israel investors are interested not only in the energy sector,
but also in agriculture, Azerbaijan's largest employer and second
largest sector after oil. And Azerbaijan is a tolerant state, and
ready to develop good relations with any country, as long as, these
relations will not damage its security, national interests and also
international prestige.
REFERENCE:
1. Hilary Leila Krieger: May 17, 2006,"Azerbaijan to open trade office
in Israel", Jerusalem Post
2. Ilya Bourtman: Summer 2006, "Israel and Azerbaijan's Furtive
Embrace", Middle East Quarterly, pp.47-57
3. Israeli Ambassador: 27 June 2007 "Azerbaijan and Israel have
strategic relations",
http://www.azertag.com/index_en. html
4. Joanna Sloame: July 10, 2006 "The Virtual Jewish History Tour
Azerbaijan"
http://www.jewishvirtuallib rary.org/jsource/vjw/Azerbaijan.html
5. Lev Krichevsky: February 9-13, 2006, "In meeting with
Jews, Azeri leader hints at stronger relations with Israel,
http://www.ncsj.org/AuxPages/021306Azerbai jan.shtml
6. Soner Cagaptay and Alexandr Murinson: March30, 2005, "Good Relation
between Azerbaijan and Israel: A Model for Other Muslim States in
Eurasia?" The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
7. Shamkhal Abilov, 25 July, 2007, Interview with Dr. Rovshan Ibrahimov
8. Day.Az interview with Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni, 10
November 2008, http://www.today.az/news/politics/48863.html