Ambassador Shafiyev recently gave a briefing on Azerbaijan-Israel relations at B’nai Brith Canada headquarters in Toronto. This article is an edited version of that presentation.

Modern Azerbaijan, based on a model of secularism, developed good relations with Jewish communities all over the world and especially with Israel.  A historic Jewish linkage in Azerbaijan creates a connection that might at first be surprising, but is actually a natural basis for cooperation and respect between the two countries and societies.

The Azerbaijani-Canadian community and the Jewish community of Canada enjoy warm and very good relations today due in large part to the hard work of B’nai Brith Canada. In 2006, the Embassy of Azerbaijan successfully saw the creation of the Canada-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, which witnessed parliamentarians of all political parties come together in this Group to promote stronger relations between our two nations. Last year, we held an important annual meeting and I was most pleased to invite B’nai Brith to attend the meeting and was proud to have their total support for this important initiative. We are glad to see that our communities cooperate and support each other so well. I know this will continue into the future.

For centuries, the Jewish people have lived in Azerbaijan peacefully. Azerbaijan prides itself on a history of tolerance, which includes a Jewish community that goes back hundreds of years. Azerbaijani Jewry traces its roots back to the existence of Caucasian Albania, an ancient and early medieval kingdom that was in Azerbaijan. Many members of this community came to the Caucasus from other areas to escape persecution or violence. Jews have always been comfortable in settling the territories of Azerbaijan. These days Jews mainly reside in the cities of Baku, Sumqayit, Quba, Oguz and the town of Krasnaya Sloboda, the only town in the world where Mountain Jews constitute a majority.

During the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) from 1918 to 1920 the Jewish community enjoyed the same rights as other ethnic groups. The existence of ADR marked the establishment of the Jewish Popular University in 1919 and a number of schools, social clubs, benevolent societies and cultural organizations. Even the ADR?Health Minister, Dr. Yevsei Gindes, was an Ashkenazi Jew.

During the years of the Soviet Union the Jewish community experienced no discrimination from Azerbaijanis. Many Jews made significant contributions to Azerbaijani science and culture. This period was also marked by many Azerbaijani-Jewish marriages. The first legal Hebrew courses in the Soviet Union were opened in Baku.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, a traditional Jewish school (Yeshiva) opened in Baku in 1994 and an Ohr Avner Chabad Day School was established in 1999.  As of 1994, Hebrew was studied at one state university and was offered as a course choice in two secondary schools.
A new Jewish synagogue, which became the largest synagogue in Europe, was opened in Baku on March 9, 2003. Currently, there are synagogues serving in Baku, Quba and in other cities of Azerbaijan. On May 31, 2007, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Ohr Avner Chabad Centre for Jewish Studies took place in Baku.

While many Muslim countries still insist on avoiding any official interaction with Israelis, the Republic of Azerbaijan, a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population has chosen a different path, a way that has offered benefits for itself and for Israel. Azerbaijan and Israel have developed a relationship in the political sphere and Israel considers Azerbaijan its important strategic partner in the region. Despite some pressure, Azerbaijan has never ceased its cooperation with Israel.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan strongly supports the two-state solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and believes that Israel and an independent Palestine should live peacefully side by side.

In 1997, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, paid a visit to Baku, relations entered a new phase. Netanyahu’s meeting with then Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev in Baku included discussions of various issues ranging from new oil deals to trilateral cooperation between Israel, Turkey and Azerbaijan. The meeting solidified a strategic understanding and led to increased defence cooperation.

Another recent important step in strengthening the bilateral relations was a historic state visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres to Azerbaijan on June 28, 2009. He headed a delegation that included three government ministers – the minister of industry, trade and labour; the minister of national infrastructures; and the minister of science and technology – as well as the director general of the ministry of defence, along with 60 heads of leading Israeli companies in the fields of security, infrastructures, communications, health and agriculture. Several bilateral agreements were signed during the visit. In his interview with an Azerbaijani news agency before the visit, President Peres said: “Azerbaijan has shown patience and respect for the place where the Jews, Muslims and the Christians can live together without hatred, without fanaticism. So, for me it is a special country that I know I can trust in and has cultural background.  Oil you can buy, but culture you have to create.  And Azerbaijan created culture.”

Economic cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan has grown significantly. Israel’s export to Azerbaijan in 2008 equalled $128 million, a 56.4 per cent increase over the 2007 figure of $82 million. According to figures announced by Azerbaijan’s statistical committee, Israel imported $3.5 billion of goods (mostly oil) from Azerbaijan.  Many Israeli companies operate in the energy sector of Azerbaijan. For instance, an Israeli-based supplier of high technology to the energy industry, mainly in the oil and gas field, Modcom System Ltd., opened an office in Azerbaijan in 2000. Many Israeli companies have invested in the service sector of Azerbaijan. Bakcell, which was started as a joint venture between the Azerbaijan’s ministry of communication and GTIB (Israel) in early 1994 as the first cellular telephone operator in the country, is a good example. Bezeq, a major telephone subsidiary, was the first to invest in Azerbaijan.  Through a devalued contract bid in 1994, Bezeq bought a large share of the telephone operating system. As a result of developing economic relations, the first Israel-Azerbaijan business forum took place in Tel Aviv on May 18, 2009.

Azerbaijan has no antisemitic tradition in its history. Antisemitism has not historically been a problem in Azerbaijan. According to the Report on Global Antisemitism released by the USA Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor on Jan. 5, 2005, “Cases of prejudice and discrimination against Jews in the country were very limited, and in the few instances of antisemitic activity, the government has been quick to respond.”

One of the successful humanitarian initiatives between the two countries has been the youth exchange agreements. In 2003, Jerusalem and Baku agreed to facilitate study opportunities for Azerbaijani scientists and doctors in Israel. Also, the Azerbaijan-Israel Youth Friendship Society works to promote youth relations through the teaching of each others’ histories.