"Our relations with Azerbaijan don't depend on which government takes office in Israel"
Caliber.Az interview with Alex Wexler

INTERVIEWS  29 April 2022 - 11:01

Caliber.Az presents an interview with the former Israeli Consul in Moscow, ex-advisor of the Israeli national security, military and political commentator Alex Wexler.

- How do you assess the results of the visit of Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman to Azerbaijan?

This visit did not receive wide coverage in Israel, due to certain considerations. However, Lieberman visited Baku and met with Aliyev during different periods, occupying different positions: both as defense minister and foreign minister. That is, the system of Azerbaijani-Israeli relations is established on mutual understanding even distantly.

- Meanwhile, some Israeli media reported that Lieberman's visit to Baku was due to the fact that Israel is ready to abandon Russian oil and switch completely to Azerbaijani. Do you agree with this scenario?

The sides indeed discussed issues of expanding economic cooperation and energy ties. This was due to the fact that Israel is asking to increase the volume of Azerbaijani oil. Until now, it accounted for approximately 40% of all oil supplied to Israel, but now we want to increase the volume. And, most likely, Israel is really trying to abandon Russian oil and switch to Azerbaijani.

We mainly get oil from Azerbaijan, Russia and Iraqi Kurdistan, with which we have had good relations for many years. I think Baku will meet the needs of Israel and increase the volume of supplies.

- At first glance, it seems that relations with Azerbaijan developed better under previous Israeli governments. Will the current government of Naftali Bennett continue its policy toward Baku?

Our relations with Azerbaijan don't depend on which government takes office in Israel. Whoever is in charge of the Cabinet, our relations will only strengthen and deepen. I am a Jew, not an Azerbaijani, but I am from Baku and I remember and love this country.

- What is the level of military-technical relations between our countries today?

I would like to reply ambiguously. President Ilham Aliyev once said that Israeli-Azerbaijani relations are like an iceberg: 1/10th of it is above water, and the rest is underwater. So, let's agree with Mr. President and believe that outsiders should not know all the details of our military-technical ties. They showed up very well in Azerbaijan's victorious war, it was clearly seen and heard and everyone knew about it. I even saw Israeli flags in the streets of Baku.

I believe that our ties are so strong that it is impossible to even expand them. Our relationship is the deepest, most natural, most noble.

- A Knesset delegation recently visited Armenia. During their visit, they discussed, among other things, the issue of Israel's recognition of the "Armenian Genocide". What do you think about this issue?

This is the first time I heard about it. Moreover, it does not interest me. Armenian-Israeli relations cannot be compared to the relations between Israel and Azerbaijan.

When people ask me why I love Azerbaijan, the country where I was born, I answer that tens of thousands of Jews lived and prospered in Baku. In Armenia, even in the best Soviet times, the number of Jews did not reach a thousand. Since then, our relations with Baku have developed and intensified. There may be people among the 120 members of the Knesset who love and respect Armenians, but they will always be in the minority.

- What are the prospects for the full restoration of relations between Israel and Turkey?

In recent months, we have had the prospect of improving relations with Turkey, which were just excellent 12-15 years ago, the same as with Azerbaijan. We have been improving and updating all kinds of military equipment in Turkey.

However, then relations between our countries deteriorated. All those Turkish generals who were our friends resigned. But I believe that relations will improve, especially since Israeli tourists are again coming to Turkey. There was a period when Israelis did not go there on vacation. The President of Israel has already visited Turkey, and the Prime Minister is also expected to visit in the near future. 

I think our close relations with Azerbaijan play a certain role in improving relations with Turkey.

Caliber.Az