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'Israel needs strong Azerbaijan'
Fri 27 April 2012 06:31 GMT | 7:31 Local Time
Alexander Goldenstein
News.Az interviews Alexander Goldenstein, editor-in-chief of the
Israeli-Russian IzRus.co.il portal and an expert on the South Caucasus.
Israeli Foreign Minister A.Lieberman told journalist during the visit to
Baku that Azerbaijan can mediate between Israel and Arab world. Does it
mean that after worsening of ties with Turkey Israel started to seriously
view Azerbaijan as a perspective bridge of dialogue to the Arab world?
Last summer, the envoy of the Palestinian Autonomy in Azerbaijan Nasir
Abdul Kerim noted that `official Baku has close ties with Israel' and
therefore Azerbaijan can become a mediator in the Palestine-Israel
conflict. Last year the head of the Azerbaijan-Israel association Joseph
Shagal told me that if the political leadership of Azerbaijan would
consider the position of a mediator in Israeli-Palestinian confrontation
promising, it would naturally use its all resources (Azerbaijan has more
resources than it may seem) to take this position and have maximum benefit
from it.
But as this did not happen in the twenty years of the Israeli-Azerbaijani
diplomatic ties, logic hints that the Azerbaijani leadership has more
important foreign policy problems than mediation in the relations between
Jerusalem and Ramallah which require immediate solution at the current
moment. And this does not mean the relations between Israel and Turkey
since Ankara was not a good mediator in the past. The matter is just about
that the more the number of mediators is, the lower are chances to achieve
peaceful solution. This is related both to the conflict between
Palestinians and Israel and many other conflicts.
Does the refutation of the information by Lieberman about Israel's plans
to
use Azerbaijani airdromes for an offensive against Iran mean that there is
really no such plan?
Mr.Lieberman holds the position of the Israeli Foreign Minister, which
means he has everything alright with his brains. Which statement did you
expect from him? Only an insane would say: `Yes, we have the bases in
Azerbaijan and we will use them against Iran when necessary'. This would
be
a great fool to say so, since such a statement would make so many `waves'
that it would overweigh any tsunami. In particular, this would sever ties
between Baku and Jerusalem. I think our government, in particular,
Lieberman, who is one of the main architects of these relations, can hardly
have this in their plans.
Do you think the absence of the anti-Iranian rhetoric of the Israeli
Foreign Minister will influence the clear annoyance of Iran with the
Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation and the very fact of Lieberman's visit to
Baku?
Iran's rhetoric will not change as long as there is Israel. And as soon as
there is the current regime in Iran, thanks to which the citizens of the
country are impoverishing, while Tehran quarreled with almost the entire
world, the Iranian government will need an external enemy. If not Israel,
then the United States or Britain. Or, probably, Iceland. It is comfortable
to have a weak, phlegmatic enemy whom no one is able to find on the map=85
thus the visit of Lieberman and his meeting with the government of
Azerbaijan annoys and outrages the Iranian government.
During the Azerbaijani-Israeli talks in Baku, the parties discussed mutual
interaction in the UN Security Council. On which issues can the parties
cooperate within this structure?
There are a number of problems that require settlement in the world. And
the matter is related not to Israeli settlements whose termination will not
stop massacres in Syria, the riots in Bahrain or the quarrel between Sudan
and Southern Sudan. Israel's termination will also not prevent Iran from
making a stir in the whole region including in the South Caucasus. The
sweet words of dazed Europeans and mendacious Arabs in UN will not stop
clashes and famine in Africa. There are many real problems in the world and
therefore our countries can and must cooperate.
Azerbaijan supported the initiative of Palestine in UN on the
international recognition of the Palestinian state. May this circumstance
hinder the interaction between Azerbaijan and Israel within this
organization?
Azerbaijan is a Muslim country which is under constant pressing of other
Muslim states. It does not matter for Azerbaijan whether Palestine will
appear on the map as an independent state or not. Therefore, it would be
odd to expect Baku to speak against this initiative. Israel understands it
well, since there is no difference for us since it is for the UN Security
Council to decide, therefore Azerbaijan could vote against or abstain, it
would not influence the overall situation. By supporting the initiative of
the Palestinian Autonomy, official Baku preserved its positions among
Muslim states, while it is not a secret that Israel needs strong Azerbaijan.
F.H.
News.Az
Fri 27 April 2012 06:31 GMT | 7:31 Local Time
Alexander Goldenstein
News.Az interviews Alexander Goldenstein, editor-in-chief of the
Israeli-Russian IzRus.co.il portal and an expert on the South Caucasus.
Israeli Foreign Minister A.Lieberman told journalist during the visit to
Baku that Azerbaijan can mediate between Israel and Arab world. Does it
mean that after worsening of ties with Turkey Israel started to seriously
view Azerbaijan as a perspective bridge of dialogue to the Arab world?
Last summer, the envoy of the Palestinian Autonomy in Azerbaijan Nasir
Abdul Kerim noted that `official Baku has close ties with Israel' and
therefore Azerbaijan can become a mediator in the Palestine-Israel
conflict. Last year the head of the Azerbaijan-Israel association Joseph
Shagal told me that if the political leadership of Azerbaijan would
consider the position of a mediator in Israeli-Palestinian confrontation
promising, it would naturally use its all resources (Azerbaijan has more
resources than it may seem) to take this position and have maximum benefit
from it.
But as this did not happen in the twenty years of the Israeli-Azerbaijani
diplomatic ties, logic hints that the Azerbaijani leadership has more
important foreign policy problems than mediation in the relations between
Jerusalem and Ramallah which require immediate solution at the current
moment. And this does not mean the relations between Israel and Turkey
since Ankara was not a good mediator in the past. The matter is just about
that the more the number of mediators is, the lower are chances to achieve
peaceful solution. This is related both to the conflict between
Palestinians and Israel and many other conflicts.
Does the refutation of the information by Lieberman about Israel's plans
to
use Azerbaijani airdromes for an offensive against Iran mean that there is
really no such plan?
Mr.Lieberman holds the position of the Israeli Foreign Minister, which
means he has everything alright with his brains. Which statement did you
expect from him? Only an insane would say: `Yes, we have the bases in
Azerbaijan and we will use them against Iran when necessary'. This would
be
a great fool to say so, since such a statement would make so many `waves'
that it would overweigh any tsunami. In particular, this would sever ties
between Baku and Jerusalem. I think our government, in particular,
Lieberman, who is one of the main architects of these relations, can hardly
have this in their plans.
Do you think the absence of the anti-Iranian rhetoric of the Israeli
Foreign Minister will influence the clear annoyance of Iran with the
Azerbaijani-Israeli cooperation and the very fact of Lieberman's visit to
Baku?
Iran's rhetoric will not change as long as there is Israel. And as soon as
there is the current regime in Iran, thanks to which the citizens of the
country are impoverishing, while Tehran quarreled with almost the entire
world, the Iranian government will need an external enemy. If not Israel,
then the United States or Britain. Or, probably, Iceland. It is comfortable
to have a weak, phlegmatic enemy whom no one is able to find on the map=85
thus the visit of Lieberman and his meeting with the government of
Azerbaijan annoys and outrages the Iranian government.
During the Azerbaijani-Israeli talks in Baku, the parties discussed mutual
interaction in the UN Security Council. On which issues can the parties
cooperate within this structure?
There are a number of problems that require settlement in the world. And
the matter is related not to Israeli settlements whose termination will not
stop massacres in Syria, the riots in Bahrain or the quarrel between Sudan
and Southern Sudan. Israel's termination will also not prevent Iran from
making a stir in the whole region including in the South Caucasus. The
sweet words of dazed Europeans and mendacious Arabs in UN will not stop
clashes and famine in Africa. There are many real problems in the world and
therefore our countries can and must cooperate.
Azerbaijan supported the initiative of Palestine in UN on the
international recognition of the Palestinian state. May this circumstance
hinder the interaction between Azerbaijan and Israel within this
organization?
Azerbaijan is a Muslim country which is under constant pressing of other
Muslim states. It does not matter for Azerbaijan whether Palestine will
appear on the map as an independent state or not. Therefore, it would be
odd to expect Baku to speak against this initiative. Israel understands it
well, since there is no difference for us since it is for the UN Security
Council to decide, therefore Azerbaijan could vote against or abstain, it
would not influence the overall situation. By supporting the initiative of
the Palestinian Autonomy, official Baku preserved its positions among
Muslim states, while it is not a secret that Israel needs strong Azerbaijan.
F.H.
News.Az