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A HISTORY: ISRAEL-AZERBAIJAN RELATIONS
http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/03/30/a-history-israel-azerbaijan-relations/
March 30, 2012 4:35 pm
Author:
Lakkana Nanayakkara Lakkana Nanayakkara
Aerial Refueling Azerbaijan Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline Iran attack
Iran Nuclear Iran Strike israel Israel Air Force Israeli Drones Mark
Perry Sitalcay airstrip
Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: wiki commons.
Much has been made of Mark Perry's recent piece in Foreign Policy
Magazine, which claims that Israel has been given access to at least
one Azerbaijan airfield for use during a military strike on Iran's
nuclear facilities. Azerbaijan borders Iran to the north, which would
allow Israeli planes to refuel on the ground instead of in the air.
Israeli-Azeri relations have developed rapidly since Azerbaijan's
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This is mainly due
to both countries recognizing "Iran as a major, even existential
security threat". According to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev,
his country's relationship with Israel is "nine-tenths ... below
the surface."
Israel buys 30% of its oil from Azerbaijan and is the second
largest customer for Azeri oil, which is shipped through the
Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
There are estimated to be some 30,000 former Azeri Jews in Israel and
25,000 Jews still live in Azerbaijan. However, despite the close ties
there is still no Azerbaijani embassy in Israel.
In the 90s, Israel started purchasing Azeri oil and "sent medical,
technological, and agricultural experts" to Azerbaijan. In addition
to unspecified weapons sales and intelligence operations, "Israeli
firms built and guard the fence around Baku's international airport,
monitor and help protect Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure, and even
provide security for Azerbaijan's president on his foreign visits."
Azerbaijan wanted Israel to use its influence to improve US-Azeri
relations and counteract Armenia's strong ties to the United States.
This became important for Azerbaijan after it not only lost a war
and the Nagorno-Karabakh region to its archenemy Armenia, but also
when the US imposed sanctions on them.
An Israeli firm, Bezeq, has been a major player in the Azeri telephone
market since 1994 and many Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan's
energy sector. In 1995, an Israeli journalist noted that Azerbaijan
was flooded with "Strauss ice cream, cell phones produced by Motorola's
Israeli division, Maccabee beer, and other Israeli imports".
In 2004, exports from Azerbaijan to Israel were worth $323 million
and in 2005 Israel was Azerbaijan's fifth largest trading partner.
In September 2008, Azerbaijan signed an agreement reportedly worth
"hundreds of millions of dollars" with "three Israeli companies to
buy mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment."
Specific cases of publicized Israeli-Azeri military co-operation
include upgrading Soviet SU-25 Scorpion aircraft in 2001, building
the TecSar reconnaissance satellite system and Azeri production of
the Namer infantry fighting vehicle in 2009.
After its ties with Turkey started to deteriorate over the Gaza
flotilla incident, Israel agreed to jointly manufacture 60 Israeli
drones with Azerbaijan in 2011.
In February 2012, Israel signed a $1.6 billion weapons contract
that will provide Azerbaijan with sophisticated drones, as well as
anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.
According to four anonymous U.S. senior diplomats and military
intelligence officers, Israel now has access to Azeri airfields. The
Sitalcay airstrip is considered to be suitable for Israeli aircraft
due to its distance from Azerbaijan's capital and its existing
facilities. Israel may also have "electronic listening stations"
along the border with Iran.
Although Azerbaijan's defense minister refused to allow any attack to
be launched on Iran from Azerbaijan, he "did not explicitly bar Israeli
bombers from landing in the country after a strike" or "...rule out
the basing of Israeli search-and-rescue units in the country."
http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/03/30/a-history-israel-azerbaijan-relations/
March 30, 2012 4:35 pm
Author:
Lakkana Nanayakkara Lakkana Nanayakkara
Aerial Refueling Azerbaijan Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline Iran attack
Iran Nuclear Iran Strike israel Israel Air Force Israeli Drones Mark
Perry Sitalcay airstrip
Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: wiki commons.
Much has been made of Mark Perry's recent piece in Foreign Policy
Magazine, which claims that Israel has been given access to at least
one Azerbaijan airfield for use during a military strike on Iran's
nuclear facilities. Azerbaijan borders Iran to the north, which would
allow Israeli planes to refuel on the ground instead of in the air.
Israeli-Azeri relations have developed rapidly since Azerbaijan's
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. This is mainly due
to both countries recognizing "Iran as a major, even existential
security threat". According to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev,
his country's relationship with Israel is "nine-tenths ... below
the surface."
Israel buys 30% of its oil from Azerbaijan and is the second
largest customer for Azeri oil, which is shipped through the
Baku-Tibilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.
There are estimated to be some 30,000 former Azeri Jews in Israel and
25,000 Jews still live in Azerbaijan. However, despite the close ties
there is still no Azerbaijani embassy in Israel.
In the 90s, Israel started purchasing Azeri oil and "sent medical,
technological, and agricultural experts" to Azerbaijan. In addition
to unspecified weapons sales and intelligence operations, "Israeli
firms built and guard the fence around Baku's international airport,
monitor and help protect Azerbaijan's energy infrastructure, and even
provide security for Azerbaijan's president on his foreign visits."
Azerbaijan wanted Israel to use its influence to improve US-Azeri
relations and counteract Armenia's strong ties to the United States.
This became important for Azerbaijan after it not only lost a war
and the Nagorno-Karabakh region to its archenemy Armenia, but also
when the US imposed sanctions on them.
An Israeli firm, Bezeq, has been a major player in the Azeri telephone
market since 1994 and many Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan's
energy sector. In 1995, an Israeli journalist noted that Azerbaijan
was flooded with "Strauss ice cream, cell phones produced by Motorola's
Israeli division, Maccabee beer, and other Israeli imports".
In 2004, exports from Azerbaijan to Israel were worth $323 million
and in 2005 Israel was Azerbaijan's fifth largest trading partner.
In September 2008, Azerbaijan signed an agreement reportedly worth
"hundreds of millions of dollars" with "three Israeli companies to
buy mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment."
Specific cases of publicized Israeli-Azeri military co-operation
include upgrading Soviet SU-25 Scorpion aircraft in 2001, building
the TecSar reconnaissance satellite system and Azeri production of
the Namer infantry fighting vehicle in 2009.
After its ties with Turkey started to deteriorate over the Gaza
flotilla incident, Israel agreed to jointly manufacture 60 Israeli
drones with Azerbaijan in 2011.
In February 2012, Israel signed a $1.6 billion weapons contract
that will provide Azerbaijan with sophisticated drones, as well as
anti-aircraft and missile defense systems.
According to four anonymous U.S. senior diplomats and military
intelligence officers, Israel now has access to Azeri airfields. The
Sitalcay airstrip is considered to be suitable for Israeli aircraft
due to its distance from Azerbaijan's capital and its existing
facilities. Israel may also have "electronic listening stations"
along the border with Iran.
Although Azerbaijan's defense minister refused to allow any attack to
be launched on Iran from Azerbaijan, he "did not explicitly bar Israeli
bombers from landing in the country after a strike" or "...rule out
the basing of Israeli search-and-rescue units in the country."