The hidden relations between Azerbaijan and Israel

In the past few days, the 29th CAP summit in Baku has sparked various controversies. One of the most notable issues that attracted attention was the participation of Isaac Herzog, the President of Israel, in the summit. His participation faced significant internal and external protests, and it was finally announced on Saturday night that he would not attend due to security reasons.Denial of Israel’s Plane LandingThe following morning, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, rejecting security concerns and announcing that the trip had been canceled due to Turkey’s refusal to allow the Israeli President’s plane to use its airspace. Diplomatic talks over the past few days had yielded no results.However, it cannot be solely attributed to security reasons or Turkey’s denial of permission. Public reactions, particularly within Azerbaijan, have certainly played a role. Despite the severe media censorship and the news blackout, which are common in Azerbaijan, there are no clear official reports about these protests. However, according to some sources, public dissatisfaction with the continued and growing relations with the Israeli regime led to protests by Azerbaijan’s Shiite community. When it was revealed that the government intended to hold a memorial for the Israeli casualties and prisoners from the Al-Aqsa flood operation, which would be inaugurated with Herzog’s presence in Baku, the protests intensified.An unknown group of young Azerbaijanis against the government and in support of Israel has emerged, threatening Israeli citizens present in Azerbaijan, stating that none of them would be safe and they should expect anything. As a result of these protests, several arrests occurred, with the names Siyavush Hosseini, a Shiite cleric, and Kamran Mamedli, an environmental activist, among those detained.History of Azerbaijan-Israel RelationsThe 29th CAP summit and its facilitation for Israel is not the first positive encounter between Azerbaijan and this hostile regime, as their friendly relations have a long history. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Israel was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan’s independence, and a year later, the two countries formally established diplomatic relations. Since 1993, Israel has had an embassy in Baku, regularly appointing ambassadors. Their current ambassador, George Dick, is a young Arab Christian, which deviates from Israel’s usual diplomatic practices, and he has made controversial remarks about Iran. On the other hand, Azerbaijan had no embassy in Israel until 2023, which can be attributed to its relationship with Iran. However, after Israel’s involvement in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan took a new step in expanding its diplomatic relations with Israel, officially opening an embassy in Tel Aviv and appointing Mokhtar Mammadov as ambassador.Azerbaijan-Israel Cooperation in Various FieldsThe cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel is not limited to diplomacy; military cooperation is another significant area of their bilateral relations. Israel, which helped Azerbaijan in rebuilding its military, is now a major and primary supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan, making it a key customer of Israel’s defense industries. According to published statistics, several important agreements have been signed in the past decade. For example, under an agreement, Israel’s state-owned aerospace industry committed to selling over $1.5 billion worth of drones, air defense systems, and missile defense systems to Baku.These cooperations expanded during the Nagorno-Karabakh war. According to Israeli media, Azerbaijan purchased advanced LORA missiles from Israel, which were used by its military in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In addition to supplying weapons, an Israeli company helped them with a comprehensive digital map of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Israeli security services are reported to have played a crucial role in planning operations