Pro-Israel Azerbaijan faces Western sabotage as Armenian lobby attacks alliances, echoing Iranian regional interests.
As Armenia cautiously pivots toward the West, a striking contradiction has emerged in Washington. While Yerevan seeks to normalize relations with Israel and break free from years of geopolitical stagnation, Armenian lobbying organizations in the United States are actively campaigning against Israel’s strategic partnership with Azerbaijan—one of Jerusalem’s most reliable regional allies.
According to a diplomatic source speaking to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, this lobbying effort directly clashes with Armenia’s own evolving foreign policy and risks serving Iranian interests by weakening emerging security frameworks aligned with Israel and the West.
The campaign is being spearheaded by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), alongside A New Policy and 16 additional organizations. Their joint statement urges Washington to block any Azerbaijani role in a proposed International Security Force for Gaza—an idea floated under Donald Trump’s 20-Point Plan.
Their argument is revealing: Azerbaijan is deemed “unfit” precisely because of its close security, intelligence, and diplomatic ties with Israel. In other words, being pro-Israel has become a disqualifier. This stance exposes the deeper motive—delegitimizing Israel’s regional partnerships rather than advancing peace.
The lobby further weaponizes the 2023 Karabakh conflict, ignoring Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized sovereignty and framing Israel as complicit in what they falsely label a “genocide.” Such rhetoric mirrors the talking points of Iran and radical Palestinian-aligned narratives that routinely distort reality to isolate Israel diplomatically.
Ironically, Azerbaijan itself has not committed to any Gaza deployment and has indicated it would only consider participation under strict conditions, including a complete cessation of hostilities. Still, in Washington policy circles, Baku is often cited as a rare example of a moderate, professional Muslim-majority state with deep ties to Israel—exactly the kind of partner Arab and Islamist actors fear.
In response to the campaign, Azerbaijan’s Jewish community has stepped forward. In a letter to Yehuda Kaploun, Rabbi Zamir Isayev described Azerbaijan as a living model of interfaith harmony, where Jews have lived safely and openly for centuries—an inconvenient truth for those attempting to smear Israel’s allies.
For Jerusalem, the situation presents a delicate paradox: cautiously engaging Armenia while preserving its strategic alliance with Azerbaijan, a nation that has consistently stood with Israel against Iranian expansion and regional instability.
What is clear, however, is this: attacks on Israel’s alliances—especially by lobbying groups aligned with anti-Israel narratives—do not advance peace. They empower Tehran, embolden extremists, and punish those in the Muslim world who choose cooperation over confrontation.
