Israeli PM Strengthens Ties with Muslim Countries: ‘Jews Are Your Best Ambassadors’

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made official visits to the Muslim countries of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan this week. 

The visits and meetings with the countries' leaders are intended to advance diplomatic relations, as well as discuss regional issues and security and economic matters. 

Netanyahu visited Azerbaijan nearly 20 years ago.  But it's the first visit ever of a prime minister of the Jewish state to Kazakhstan.

"I want to commend you for your attitude of tolerance towards Jews," Netanyahu said in a statement with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. 

"This is something that Jews who are here feel and Jews who came from Kazakhstan to Israel value deeply," Netanyahu said. "You're right, they're a human bridge, but they're also your best ambassadors. They speak very warmly of Kazakhstan and of the attitude towards all religions here." 

Netanyahu said that it is important for the world to see this today.

"What you see today are the leaders of a Muslim state and the leader of a Jewish state shaking hands, working to cooperate to create a better future for the citizens of our countries," Netanyahu said.

"But I think that this example of Muslim-Jewish cooperation is something that reverberates throughout the world. I said to you as we were walking in here that our relations with our Muslim Arab neighbors are changing dramatically," Netanyahu added.

Israel and Kazakhstan signed agreements on research and development, aviation, civil service commissions and agricultural cooperation.  They also agreed to establish teams to study high-tech and security development.

Earlier, Netanyahu met with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who welcomed the Israeli prime minister and spoke about the good relations between Jews and Azerbaijanis.

"For centuries Jews and Azerbaijanis lived in peace, friendship and continue to live here in Azerbaijan, and the Jewish community of Azerbaijan is a very active part of our society," Aliyev said. "They contribute a lot to the development of modern Azerbaijan and these close relations between our people is a very important factor in our bilateral relations."

Azerbaijan has seven synagogues, five of them in Baku as well as Jewish schools and a Jewish education center.

"Relations between Jews and Azerbaijanis were always very good," Aliyev noted. "During all the times of our history, and Jews live in Azerbaijan for centuries. It's their home. They feel themselves at home, and they do a lot in order to strengthen our country." 

According to Aliyev, Israel and Azerbaijan have "good prospects" for agricultural cooperation.  The two countries are already cooperating in the area of defense industries with contracts between Israeli and Azerbaijani companies totaling $4.85 billion.