Israel’s alliance with Azerbaijan is a Faustian bargain we should reconsider

Over 120,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands in just a matter of days, with reports of civilians being harassed, starved, and intimidated into leaving.

By NADAV TAMIR DECEMBER 29, 2024 04:07

AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT Ilham Aliyev is flanked by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last month. Under Aliyev, Azerbaijan stands as one of the most despotic regimes in the world, the writer argues. (photo credit: MURAD SEZER/REUTERS)

In a “Why Jews need Azerbaijan” (The Jerusalem Post, December 16), Dr. Mordechai Kedar extolled Azerbaijan as a beacon of friendship to Israel and a model of tolerance in a hostile region. As a former diplomat I never dismiss considerations of Realpolitik, and I recognize that the strategic alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan undoubtedly serves certain geopolitical and economic interests – notably oil and the proximity to Iran. However, the paean to Azerbaijan as a paragon of virtue demands a closer examination. The reality is far from Kedar’s glowing depiction.

Under the iron rule of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan stands as one of the most despotic regimes in the world. Freedom House, a respected watchdog organization, gives Azerbaijan an abysmal score of 9 out of 100 in its Freedom in the World rankings, placing it firmly in the “not free” category. Elections in Azerbaijan are farcical, with Aliyev routinely securing more than 80% of the vote in contests that lack even a veneer of legitimacy. Dissent is crushed with brutal efficiency. Journalists, opposition figures, and activists are routinely imprisoned, and the state’s control over media and civil society is near-total.

Kedar’s article sidesteps Azerbaijan’s recent actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, where it executed one of the largest instances of ethnic cleansing in recent history. 

Over 120,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands in just a matter of days, with reports of civilians being harassed, starved, and intimidated into leaving. This mass exodus did not occur in a vacuum; it was the culmination of a systematic campaign to erase the Armenian presence in Nagorno-Karabakh, a region they have inhabited for millennia.

Even after the expulsion, Azerbaijan’s assault on Armenian cultural heritage continues unabated. Reports from organizations such as Human Rights Watch and UNESCO detail the destruction of Armenian churches, monasteries, and cemeteries – a brazen attempt to rewrite history and sever the connection between the land and its original inhabitants. These actions constitute cultural genocide and are part of Aliyev’s broader policy of denying Armenia’s historical and cultural legacy in the region. Indeed, the regime is now coveting land in Armenia proper, and could well soon restart war.

Baku, Azerbaijan (credit: INGIMAGE)

The alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan is often justified on the grounds that Azerbaijan supplies Israel with a significant portion of its oil needs and provides a strategic foothold near Iran. In return, Israel sells advanced weaponry to Azerbaijan, including drones and missiles that have been brutally and lethally deployed against Armenia. But let us not delude ourselves: This is a Faustian bargain. Israel’s military support has made it complicit in a tyrannical rule and a humanitarian disaster in Nagorno-Karabakh.

This is not the first time Israel has allied itself with unsavory regimes for perceived strategic gain. From apartheid South Africa to various Latin American dictatorships, Israel has a history of engaging in morally questionable partnerships. These alliances have often been rationalized as necessary for survival in a hostile world. Yet history shows that such bargains come with long-term costs to Israel’s moral standing and international reputation.

Kedar’s emphasis on Azerbaijan’s tolerance toward its Jewish community, while noteworthy, does not absolve the regime. 

Tolerance for one minority doesn't excuse strategic oppression of others

Yes, Azerbaijan has a small and relatively well-treated Jewish population, and its relations with Israel are warm. But tactical tolerance for one minority does not excuse the strategic oppression of others. To hail Azerbaijan as a model of coexistence while ignoring its persecution of Armenians and its suppression of domestic dissent is to engage in dangerous whitewashing.

Moreover, Kedar’s argument ignores the growing backlash against Azerbaijan’s actions from the international community. The European Parliament has condemned Azerbaijan for its actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, and US lawmakers have called for sanctions against the Aliyev regime. By aligning itself so closely with Azerbaijan, Israel risks alienating key allies and undermining its own credibility as a democracy that upholds human rights.

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Israel’s relationship with Azerbaijan should be re-evaluated in light of these realities. While strategic alliances are a necessary aspect of international relations, they must not come at the expense of fundamental moral principles. 

By continuing to arm and endorse a regime that engages in ethnic cleansing, cultural erasure, and political repression, Israel is compromising its values and tarnishing its image on the global stage.

As a former diplomat, I understand the complexities of statecraft. Pragmatism often necessitates difficult choices. However, pragmatism must be tempered by a commitment to ethics and long-term thinking. 

Kedar reflects a troubling tendency among some in Israel to prioritize expedience over principle. This approach not only undermines Israel’s moral standing but also weakens its position in advocating for democratic values and human rights worldwide. If Israel wishes to be taken seriously as a moral actor on the global stage, it must hold itself to high standards and demand accountability from its partners.

Silence in the face of injustice is complicity, and Israel cannot afford to be complicit in the crimes of ethnic cleansing. As a nation that has endured persecution and fought for its own survival, Israel has a special responsibility to stand against oppression wherever it occurs – even when it’s inconvenient. We can do better.

The writer has served as an Israeli diplomat in Washington and Boston and as a political adviser to the president of Israel.