Thirty MKs and ministers from all Israeli factions sent a congratulatory letter to Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, in parallel to Azerbaijan's Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev's visit to Israel last week to promote the historic decision to open his country's embassy in Israel that was recently decided in the Azeri National Assembly.
"Our congratulations to you our friends, the Speaker and the members of the Azeri parliament, on the occasion of the decision to open the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel. This is a significant step in upgrading the courageous cooperation between the two countries and a natural continuation of centuries of friendship between the Azeri and the Jewish people and the Jewish community on the soil of Azerbaijan," the letter stated.
They also underscored their support for the joint struggle against the regime of the Ayatollahs in Iran, which according to them is trying through propaganda to incite and divide the people of Azerbaijan against the government.
French sanctions against Azerbaijan
The Knesset members also expressed bewilderment at the French Senate's call to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan and promote an embargo on the purchase of gas and oil from it by the European Union, against the background of the fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to them, this decision plays into the hands of Iran, which is interested in weakening Azerbaijan, which today is a symbol of a progressive country with a Muslim-Shiite population that maintains close ties with Israel and the Western world. They expressed hope that they would reconsider their decision.
The local Jewish community in Azerbaijan expressed its appreciation to the ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset for this letter. "This letter is a significant encouragement for us and a birthday gift to President Ilham Aliyev, a sympathizer of the Jewish people and Israel," said Rabbi Zamir Isayev, rabbi of the Georgian community in Azerbaijan.