Rabbi Marc Schneier: Azerbaijan key to Israel’s regional normalisation strategy

President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Rabbi Marc Schneier has hailed Azerbaijan as a vital player in Israel’s broader regional strategy, describing the country as a potential bridge for normalising ties between the Jewish State and Muslim-majority nations, particularly Türkiye. 

“Azerbaijan plays a unique role in Israel’s broader strategy by serving as a potential bridge for normalising relations between the Jewish State and other Muslim-majority countries,” Schneier said in an exclusive interview with The Algemeiner, Caliber.Az reports.  

Baku has played a key role in regional normalisation efforts, most notably by facilitating the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Israel in 2022, despite the subsequent decline in the relationship between the two countries. Schneier emphasised that Azerbaijan, as a close ally of both Jerusalem and Ankara, is uniquely positioned to mediate further diplomatic breakthroughs.

Azerbaijan and Israel have continued to deepen their cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, cementing Azerbaijan’s growing role as a strategic Middle Eastern player, despite its predominantly Shi’ite Muslim identity. Earlier this year, Jerusalem and Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company, SOCAR, finalised a significant energy agreement.

In March, SOCAR also signed a gas exploration deal with Israel. Since 2019, Azerbaijan has supplied more than a third of Israel’s oil, and in 2024, Jerusalem became the sixth-largest purchaser of Azerbaijani oil, with sales reaching $713 million. In addition to energy ties, Azerbaijan has strengthened its defence relations with Israel, acquiring advanced military systems like the "Barak MX" missile system and surveillance satellites. Israel’s military technology played a crucial role in Azerbaijan's 2020 conflict with Armenia, with Azerbaijan remaining one of Israel's top buyers of defence equipment.

By Naila Huseynova