"I think there's something ... unique about this relationship: Israel is the Jewish state ... Azerbaijan is a Muslim state ... Here you have an example of Muslims and Jews working together to secure a better future for both of us." — Benjamin Netanyahu, Dec. 13, 2016
As the Trump administration takes over the reins of government, much of its attention will doubtlessly be soaked by issues that have dominated the limelight — such as soaring crime rates, waves of illegal immigration, and spiraling inflation at home; and China, Ukraine, Middle East conflict, and Iran abroad.
On the Fringes of Media Focus
However, despite these pressing matters, there are other topics, albeit on the periphery of the media spotlight, to which the incoming White House should pay attention and whose strategic significance should not be obscured.
One of these issues was recently raised in a January position paper, "Azerbaijan: One of the Pillars of Israel's Regional Security System — A Brief Overview for the Trump Administration," published by one of Israel's major think tanks, The Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. In it, the authors chronicle a string of strategic spheres in which the former Soviet Caucasian republic has considerable potential impact — from energy, through commerce to security — and that could contribute toward advancing policy aims of Trump's declared agenda.
In this regard, top-level representatives of the influential American-Jewish lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), visited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the capital Baku, where the AIPAC representatives underscored the cordial relations between the Muslim-majority Azerbaijan and the Jewish state over the past three decades — this despite efforts from certain other Muslim countries to distance themselves from Israel.
Citing a Jerusalem Post article, the BESA policy paper notes that the visit of the AIPAC delegation "demonstrates a clear recognition of Azerbaijan's pivotal role in regional stability and its unwavering support for Israel ... [and] reflects an acknowledgment that past U.S. administrations did not fully appreciate the value of engaging with Azerbaijan."
'Significant Added-Value'
According to Maariv, the widely circulated Hebrew daily cited in the BESA paper, "[f]or the Trump administration and the State of Israel, Azerbaijan holds significant added-value." The authors list five major strategic considerations that comprise that "significant added-value" for the Trump team and the formulation of its Middle East policy.
- No country other than Azerbaijan has maintained a 30-year-long military-strategic partnership with the U.S.'s key ally in the Middle East while bordering two of America's geopolitical adversaries: Russia and Iran.
- Azerbaijan shares an almost 500-mile border with Iran, with Tehran some 225 miles away, and ethnic Azerbaijanis, Iran's largest minority, comprising around 20% of its population (17.7 million).
- Azerbaijan is a crucial component in the West's endeavor to reduce Europe's dependency on Russian energy supplies.
According to Politico, since Moscow invaded Ukraine, "the European Union has been looking to resource-rich Azerbaijan to help replace the Russian energy it relied on for years. And Azerbaijan has been only too happy to help."
Although considerable effort is invested in this direction, there is still much to achieve in this field.
- Because of its geostrategic location between Central Asia and Europe, Azerbaijan is becoming an important transportation hub for international trade. Thus, last November, Israel's ambassador to Baku observed in a post on X: "Israeli companies are now recognizing the strategic importance of Azerbaijan, not only as a partner but also as a crossroads between East and West—the Middle Corridor—serving as a gateway to Central Asia."
Indeed, with regard to Central Asia, which Azerbaijan abuts from the West, I recently pointed out that one of the lacunae of the Biden administration's policy was its neglect of this region, with its wealth of strategically important metals and mineral deposits including rare earths.
- Lastly, it should be recalled that Azerbaijan is the largest country in the South Caucasus in terms of geographical size, population, economy, and military prowess.
A Unique Nexus
But beyond this catalog of strategic consideration and the potential alignment of U.S.-Azeri interests that they portend, there is the important—and largely unique—issue of the Azerbaijan-Israel nexus.
In this regard, not only have the ties between Baku and Jerusalem proven durable and mutually beneficial but cordial as well — both at the political level vis-à-vis the Jewish state, and the sociocultural level vis-à-vis the Jewish people. For, beyond the brisk commercial exchange between the two countries, there appears to be a deeper affiliation between the two peoples.
Indeed, after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, Azerbaijani citizens brought flowers and lit candles outside the Israeli embassy to honor the victims. Moreover, expressions of sympathy and solidarity were voiced by members of Azerbaijan's parliament, while Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to renew flights to Israel even as numerous other Western countries refrained from doing so.
This uniquely positive attitude toward the Jewish state, unparalleled in the Muslim world, reflects Azerbaijan's exceptional relationship with Israel, the only Shiite country to open an embassy in Israel.
Transcending Prevailing Divisions
Indeed, as a reliable ally, Baku has played a major role in ensuring Israel's energy security, bolstering mutual interests, and offering a model of Judeo-Muslim collaboration that transcends prevailing geopolitical divisions.
This is something the new U.S. administration should factor into its foreign policy in its endeavor to engender enhanced stability across the globe.
Martin Sherman spent seven years in operational capacities in the Israeli defense establishment. He is the founder of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a member of the Habithonistim-Israel Defense & Security Forum (IDSF) research team, and a participant in the Israel Victory Project. Read Martin Sherman's Reports — More Here.