• Azerbaijan has remained relatively quiet on the Palestinian issue and has maintained trade and military collaboration with Israel, supplying 40% of Israel’s crude oil needs.
• Israel supplies advanced weaponry and intelligence support crucial to Azerbaijan’s military campaigns, particularly against Armenia who has now recently recognised Palestine.
Azerbaijan’s relationship with Israel is a good example of how national interests can take precedence over the interests of the Ummah.
In contrast to many Muslim-majority countries that have vocally condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza, Azerbaijan has remained relatively quiet. This silence is not due to a lack of concern for the Palestinian cause. Baku recognises Palestine, hosts a Palestinian embassy, and has been a vocal supporter of the two-state solution. Since October 7th, Azerbaijan has supported UN resolutions calling for ceasefires. However, Azerbaijan still maintains strong ties with Israel attempting to show just enough support to Palestine without ruining their ties with Israel.
The strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Israel has historical roots and has flourished over the years. When Azerbaijan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Israel was among the first countries to recognize the new state. The subsequent decades have seen significant collaboration in trade and security. By the mid-2000s, Azerbaijan had become Israel’s fifth-largest trading partner. Today, alongside Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan supplies approximately 60% of Israel’s crude oil needs.
The symbiotic relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan extends beyond energy cooperation to substantial military-industrial collaboration. Israel has been a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan, providing 70% of its weapons until 2019 when Turkey took the lead. Israeli arms, including high-tech missile defence systems, UAVs, ballistic missiles, and loitering munitions, have significantly bolstered Azerbaijan’s military, particularly in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Additionally, Azerbaijan may serve as a base for Israeli intelligence operations against Iran. Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel has been pivotal, particularly evident during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Israel supplied key weaponry, including advanced drones like the Hermes and Harop, which played a decisive role in Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenia. This military support continued to deepen, with increased intelligence sharing and further arms deals. Israeli defence ministers Benny Gantz and Yoav Gallant, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have made multiple visits to Baku which shows the importance of this strategic alliance.
A significant factor in Azerbaijan’s alignment with Israel is their shared geopolitical concerns, particularly regarding Iran. Tehran’s support for Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, despite Armenia being a Christian-majority state, has contributed to shaky relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. Armenia has also recently recognised Palestine and the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “Armenia deplores using civilian infrastructure as shields during armed conflicts and violence towards civilian populations”. This has driven Baku to forge closer ties with Iran’s rival, Israel. The mutual hostility has seen Iran backing groups in Azerbaijan and Baku encouraging Iranian Azeris to push for separatism. Israel, valuing strong anti-Tehran forces on Iran’s border, sees Azerbaijan as a crucial ally in its regional strategy.
The Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have been under the spotlight for their economic relations with Israel. Critics argue that these nations should leverage their oil exports to exert pressure on Israel. However, they often overlook that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are the principal suppliers of crude oil to Israel, providing around 60% of its needs.
Azerbaijan’s stance is also influenced by its close relationship with Turkey, its closest ally. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been vocally critical of Israel, severing some trade deals and recalling diplomats. However, Azerbaijan has managed to maintain its strategic partnership with Israel without severing ties with Turkey. Azerbaijan relies on Turkish support in its conflict with Armenia, but it also values its strategic alliance with Israel. Azerbaijan’s oil supply to Israel is facilitated by Turkey and Turkey has faced criticism over this. Due to this criticism from the Turkish public on the Turkish government, Azerbaijan may be pressured by Turkey over the situation in Palestine which may disrupt relations slightly between the two countries.
While Azerbaijan is a “secular” state, this doesn’t mean that they should be exempt from scrutiny especially from the Muslim community. Rather, because of how much oil Azerbaijan supplies to Israel, Azerbaijan should be under more pressure than most of the other Muslim countries.
