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A History: Israel-Azerbaijan Relations

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  • A History: Israel-Azerbaijan Relations

    A HISTORY: ISRAEL-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS

    http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/03/30/a-history-israel-azerbaijan-relations/
    March 30, 2012 4:35 pm

    Author:
    Lakkana Nanayakkara Lakkana Nanayakkara

    Aerial Refueling Azerbaijan Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline Iran attack
    Iran Nuclear Iran Strike israel Israel Air Force Israeli Drones Mark
    Perry Sitalcay airstrip

    Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: wiki commons.

    Much has been made of Mark Perry's recent piece in Foreign Policy
    Magazine, which claims that Israel has been given access to at least
    one Azerbaijan airfield for use during a military strike on Iran's
    nuclear facilities. Azerbaijan borders Iran to the north, which would
    allow Israeli planes to refuel on the ground instead of in the air.

    Israeli-Azeri relations have developed rapidly since Azerbaijan's
    independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This is mainly due
    to both countries recognizing "Iran as a major, even existential
    security threat". According to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev,
    his country's relationship with Israel is "nine-tenths ... below
    the surface."

    Israel buys 30% of its oil from Azerbaijan and is the second
    largest customer for Azeri oil, which is shipped through the
    Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

    There are estimated to be some 30,000 former Azeri Jews in Israel and
    25,000 Jews still live in Azerbaijan. However, despite the close ties
    there is still no Azerbaijani embassy in Israel.

    In the 90s, Israel started purchasing Azeri oil and "sent medical,
    technological, and agricultural experts" to Azerbaijan. In addition
    to unspecified weapons sales and intelligence operations, "Israeli
    firms built and guard the fence around Baku's international airport,
    monitor and help protect Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure, and even
    provide security for Azerbaijan's president on his foreign visits."

    Azerbaijan wanted Israel to use its influence to improve US-Azeri
    relations and counteract Armenia's strong ties to the United States.

    This became important for Azerbaijan after it not only lost a war
    and the Nagorno-Karabakh region to its archenemy Armenia, but also
    when the US imposed sanctions on them.

    An Israeli firm, Bezeq, has been a major player in the Azeri telephone
    market since 1994 and many Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan's
    energy sector. In 1995, an Israeli journalist noted that Azerbaijan
    was flooded with "Strauss ice cream, cell phones produced by Motorola's
    Israeli division, Maccabee beer, and other Israeli imports".

    In 2004, exports from Azerbaijan to Israel were worth $323 million
    and in 2005 Israel was Azerbaijan's fifth largest trading partner.

    In September 2008, Azerbaijan signed an agreement reportedly worth
    "hundreds of millions of dollars" with "three Israeli companies to
    buy mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment."

    Specific cases of publicized Israeli-Azeri military co-operation
    include upgrading Soviet SU-25 Scorpion aircraft in 2001, building
    the TecSar reconnaissance satellite system and Azeri production of
    the Namer infantry fighting vehicle in 2009.

    After its ties with Turkey started to deteriorate over the Gaza
    flotilla incident, Israel agreed to jointly manufacture 60 Israeli
    drones with Azerbaijan in 2011.

    In February 2012, Israel signed a $1.6 billion weapons contract
    that will provide Azerbaijan with sophisticated drones, as well as
    anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.

    According to four anonymous U.S. senior diplomats and military
    intelligence officers, Israel now has access to Azeri airfields. The
    Sitalcay airstrip is considered to be suitable for Israeli aircraft
    due to its distance from Azerbaijan's capital and its existing
    facilities. Israel may also have "electronic listening stations"
    along the border with Iran.

    Although Azerbaijan's defense minister refused to allow any attack to
    be launched on Iran from Azerbaijan, he "did not explicitly bar Israeli
    bombers from landing in the country after a strike" or "...rule out
    the basing of Israeli search-and-rescue units in the country."

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