Major security operation: Herzog flies to Azerbaijan amid fear of Iran sabotage

There is a serious concern in Israel and Azerbaijan that Iran will try to disrupt the state visit to Baku of President Isaac Herzog. As part of the visit, which comes against the backdrop of growing tensions between Jerusalem and Tehran and between Iran and its neighbor Azerbaijan, a security operation will take place designed to thwart any Iranian attempt to harm it.

Herzog took off Tuesday morning for Azerbaijan – a Shiite Muslim country that maintains strategic ties with the State of Israel and recently inaugurated an embassy in the country – for a visit that will last two days, www.ynetnews.com reports.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, leave for Baku (Photo: Haim Zach, GPO)

"I am going on an important official state visit to Azerbaijan, hosted by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. A friendly, close, important country, a key country," Herzog said before leaving Israel. "We have to remember that, beyond trade relations and beyond the historical ties, Azerbaijan is Iran's neighbor. Iran is an unstable factor in the region that constantly pursues actions against the State of Israel and against the developing alliance of peace and security in the region, and I will certainly discuss this."

Before boarding the plane, Herzog also referred to the talks on judicial reform that will resume today at the President's residence. "During my visit to Azerbaijan, talks will be held under my auspices at the President's residence, between the coalition and representatives of the opposition parties. I would like to reiterate that broad understandings can definitely be reached. This requires effort, goodwill, and leadership, and I suggest ignoring the background noise and thinking about the strategic goal, which is ultimately the good of the State of Israel. No one sells values, no one violates basic principles, but on the other hand, it is good and desirable to discuss the boundaries of the sector in the various authorities in the State of Israel."

Azerbaijan's security forces, along with the Shin Bet's personal security unit, will take unprecedented security measures during Herzog's visit to the country – and entire areas of Baku will be closed off. Also, thousands of soldiers and policemen have been mobilized for Herzog's security.

Upon landing, Herzog will be greeted at the airport by 30 children from the Chabad school in Baku, who will wave the flags of Israel and Azerbaijan. At the beginning of the visit, which will last two days and is being held at the invitation of Azerbaijan's president, Herzog and his wife will be received in a state welcome ceremony with an honor guard at the presidential palace Zagulba in Baku, by the Azeri president.

President Isaac Herzog talks to reporters before leaving for Azerbaijan (Photo: Haim Zach, GPO)

At the climax of the ceremony, Israel's national anthem Hatikva will be played, after which the presidents will hold a political meeting. Later, Herzog and his wife will be hosted at a state lunch. Also, the two will lay a wreath in the Alley of Honor at the grave of the third president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, and at the Shahidlar Monument on Martyr's Lane to commemorate the victims of the war.

The visit will be accompanied by the Minister of Health and the Interior, Moshe Arbel, who will meet with his Azeri counterpart, Dr. Timur Musaev. The two are expected to discuss deepening cooperation in the area of health, with an emphasis on training doctors, emergency assessments, and digital health. In addition, during the visit, there will be a signing ceremony for a cooperation agreement in the field of health between Israel and Azerbaijan.

At the end of the visit, Herzog and his wife will participate in a festive event that will be held in honor of the 75th anniversary of Israel's independence, where they will meet with members of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan – and from there they will make their way back to Israel.

This is not the first Israeli presidential visit to Baku. It was preceded by the visit of President Shimon Peres in 2009, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited in 2016. Just a month ago, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Azerbaijan, and in January Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel visited there.

Herzog's visit symbolizes what appears to be the peak of the warming of relations between the countries. Recently, and for the first time since the establishment of relations between the countries, Azeri Foreign Minister Jayhon Bayermov arrived in Israel and opened the Azerbaijani embassy in Tel Aviv. At the same time, Mukhtar Mammadov, the first Azeri ambassador to Israel, arrived in Israel and presented his credentials to Herzog.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Mammadov presents his credentials to Israel's President Isaac Herzog (Photo: Haim Zach, GPO)

For about 30 years, Azerbaijan did not have an official diplomatic representation in Israel, which was one of the first countries in the world to recognize the independence of the Muslim country in December 1991 – and even opened an embassy there in 1993. Azerbaijan, a country defined as secular, is the first Muslim-Shia country to open an embassy in the state of Israel. To date, Baku has avoided the move due to pressure from Iran and other Muslim policies.

Recently, a sharp conflict broke out between Azerbaijan and Iran, part of which is due to the warming of relations between Baku and Jerusalem. Tehran demanded clarification from the Azeris, and was outraged by Cohen's statement that there is a "united front of Israel and Azerbaijan against Iran." In response, Iran made it clear that "it will not remain indifferent" to this "conspiracy."

On the other hand, the Azeris are angry at what they define as "provocations" on the part of Iran, including exercises it conducted along the border with Azerbaijan, the creation and distribution of anti-Azeri videos, the attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran and the attempted assassination of Azeri member of parliament Fazil Mustafa in Baku, attributed to pro-Iranian militias.

In January of this year, an Iranian citizen broke into the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran, shot and killed the embassy's security officer and wounded two other people. Following this escalation, Azerbaijan decided to evacuate its embassy. In addition, Azerbaijan accuses Tehran of infiltrating Iranian planes into its territory.

Recently, Iran and Azerbaijan expelled diplomats on behalf of both countries after declaring them an "undesirable personality". Also, on May 16, Baku's intelligence services arrested eight people who were accused of spying for Tehran and establishing a Shia state in Azerbaijan under the direction of Iranian intelligence. In February of this year, Azerbaijan arrested 40 Iranian spies, and dozens of other people were recently arrested in the country on similar charges. In February of this year, Azerbaijan arrested 40 Iranian spies. Azerbaijan also claims that Iran is "flooding" its poor areas with drugs – and even giving them away for free.