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Tahir Qureshi
Tahir Qureshi is a senior sub-editor at India.com, whose primary duties are writing news related to different beats like National. World, Business, and viral. He also breaks stories and then follows t ... Read More
Jerusalem: Some Muslim countries wish to root out Israel, while there is one Islamic country that showers affection on Israel. This is a complicated tale of geopolitics, where it is uncertain who is a friend, who is an enemy, and when an enemy might become a friend. For example, India and Israel are quite close allies, while India sells arms to Armenia, which is at war with Azerbaijan, a friend of Israel.
Yes, Azerbaijan is the only Muslim country with very close diplomatic and strategic ties to Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry considers Azerbaijan to be its close strategic partner. An Israeli report particularly highlighted economic cooperation, security cooperation, and Azerbaijan’s exceptional support for its Jewish community.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “The partnership between Israel and Azerbaijan is a unique model of cooperation between a Jewish state and a predominantly Muslim country.”
It is worth mentioning that Azerbaijan has a majority Shia Muslim population and has established a very close relationship with Israel. Numerous agreements have been made between the two countries in the energy, business, and defense sectors. Despite the complex geopolitical situations, the South Caucasus nation has established itself as Israel’s most important partner.
The Israeli foreign minister has emphasized that this alliance, based on shared strategic interests and open dialogue, is expected to deepen further and could serve as a model for other Muslim countries. The foreign ministry’s report has identified the relationship between Azerbaijan and Israel as a significant factor, which includes the protection of Jews living in Azerbaijan. As one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, Azerbaijani Jews have historically enjoyed full religious freedom and the Azerbaijani government has consistently supported the Jews.
The report states that Jews in Azerbaijan have never experienced any violence or anti-Semitic sentiment, showcasing the country’s religious tolerance. In the city of Cuba, home to the historic “Red Village”, it is one of the world’s only Jewish settlements. There are Jewish synagogues and cultural institutions here, which receive support from the government. Additionally, there are about 70,000 people of Azerbaijani origin in Israel, who are held in high regard in the country despite the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Jews living in Azerbaijan have complete freedom to practice their religion, and despite the Gaza conflict, they do not face discrimination in the country. Furthermore, Azerbaijan is the first Islamic country where school textbooks oppose hatred against Jews. The Azerbaijani government has strengthened its commitment to protecting religious heritage by safeguarding Israeli synagogues and churches of Christians.
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