The Embassy of Azerbaijan hosted an Independence Day celebration at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv on May 24th. The event was particularly historic as it marked the first Independence Day celebration since the opening of Azerbaijan’s first embassy in Israel, and the arrival of the ambassador, in a bolstering of Israel-Azerbaijan ties.
The evening opened with the anthems of Azerbaijan and Israel, followed by speeches. H.E. Ambassador Mukhtar Mammadov, the first resident ambassador of Azerbaijan to Israel, welcomed the guests to this historic gathering, and spoke about the importance and vitality of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Ambassador Mammadov noted that the evening commemorated the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, the first democracy in a Muslim country in the world, bringing the values of “equality, multiculturalism and peaceful coexistence” to the region. The ambassador emphasized that the opening of the embassy in Israel signified another milestone in a Jewish-Azerbaijani relationship which dates back thousands of years, including the health minister in the 1918 government being of Jewish heritage.
The Ambassador remarked on the warmth and friendship that he and his staff have experienced since arriving to open the embassy, and expressed gratitude for all of the hospitality and support. Ambassador Mammadov highlighted his country’s commitment to a strong relationship with Israel, by stating that he is proud to represent a country in which anti-semitism “has not existed before, does not exist today, and will not exist in the future.”
Minister of Intelligence Gil Gamliel spoke on behalf of the Israeli government. Minister Gamliel congratulated the ambassador and thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the historic decision to advance bilateral relations by opening the embassy of Azerbaijan in Israel. The minister mentioned shared values of religious freedom, tolerance and respect for diversity as a bedrock for the strong bilateral relationship. Minister Gamliel also cited common threats, such as from Iran, suspected of being behind an attempted assassination of an Azerbaijani parliamentarian, and with a recent deadly attack on the embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran.
Looking to the future, Minister Gamliel foresaw the nations of Azerbaijan and Israel working together to promote peace and stability. The minister concluded her remarks by a blessing of best wishes and for continued flourishing of bilateral relations.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Fariz Rzayev expressed thanks for the support and confidence of Israeli colleagues in helping advance the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel. Deputy Minister Rzayev highlighted the Azerbaijani founding values of secularism, tolerance, and respect for all cultures and religions as the driving force for the country. The deputy minister noted that the past 30 years of bilateral relations, since Azerbaijan’s independence, paved the path for the opening of the embassy this year. Deputy Minister Rzayev stated that for Azerbaijan and Israel, “the sky is no longer the limit”, setting expectations for the future trajectory of the Azerbaijan-Israel relationship across fields ranging from education to commerce to tourism to security.
At the conclusion of the speeches, a toast was raised to the best wishes of the two nations. Guests then enjoyed a lavish dinner. Among the distinguished guests in attendance: Azerbaijan Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev; Ambassador Gil Haskel, head of protocol and former director of Mashav; Liliane Haim, Director of the Protocol Department at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs; numerous Knesset members, including Boaz Bismuth, Avigdor Liberman, Yoel Razvozov and Vladimir Beliak; Michael Sutovsky, Deputy Mayor of Holon; Advocate Eli Nacht, Deputy Mayor of Ashdod; Michal Hershkovitz Director, Central Asia and Caucasus Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel; Simona Halperin Deputy Director General, Head of the Euro - Asia Division at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Journalist Victoria Dolinsky from the Kan network, and a member of the Aziz Friendship organization led by Adam Amilov to promote Azerbaijani-Israel relations; Adam Schalimtzek, Head of International Relations Division at the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection; Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) President Professor Eduard Yakubov; HIT CEO Mr. Shmuel Goldberg; Mrs. Antoaneta (Tony) Levy, HIT External Relations Innovation Support EuroAsia and Balkan Countries manager; Adam Amilov, Deputy Mayor of Kiryat Yam; Nokia CX Europe Manager Tagi Tagidze; and Professor of Architecture and Construction Elishan Kourban.
Diplomacy.co.il offers congratulations to the Government, Embassy and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan on this important occasion.
Steven Aiello Founder--DebateforPeace https://debateforpeace.org
