A significant development in the bilateral-strategic relationship between Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, and Israel is taking place. This agreement marks a new milestone in their bilateral relations, strengthening economic and strategic ties.
Azerbaijan, a South Caucasus country, and Israel have reached an agreement in which Azerbaijan, an oil producing country, has received special gas exploration permission in Israel.
Azerbaijan and Israel’s Gas Exploration
On Saturday, March 15, 2025, Azerbaijan’s Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, also serving as the chairman of SOCAR, the country’s national energy company, is set to arrive in Israel, heading a delegation, for a rare visit, during which the gas exploration agreement will be signed.
On Monday March 17, Mr. Jabbarov will be signing the agreement according to which Azerbaijan will partner with British Petroleum (BP) and Israel Yitzhak Tshuva’s NewMed Energy. Yossi Abu, NewMed Energy CEO, has been a major player behind SOCAR’s expansion of its activities in Israel. The parties will be searching for gas in Block I in the northwest of Israel’s economic area waters.
During their visit, the Minister will meet with Isaac Herzog, the President of the State of Israel as well as government members.
This is the first time since Hamas invaded Israel in October 2023, a minister from a Muslim country will be visiting Israel.
The basis for SOCAR’s entry into the Israeli energy market is to strengthen energy security for both countries as well as expanding further the already existing wide range cooperation between Israel and Azerbaijan, this time in the field of energy.
In addition, this move will also contribute to the stabilization of the Middle East. There is the possibility that Azerbaijan will become part of the Abraham Accords. If understood correctly, this majority Shi’ite Muslim country can have an impact on other Muslim countries that are not yet ready to stabilize mutual relations with Israel.
Triangle Relations Cross Continents
The President of the State of Israel Yitzhak Herzog (Bougie) has been serving as a central factor in building a triangular warm relationship between Israel, Azerbaijan and the United States. Noting here that the relations between Azerbaijan and the U.S. have cooled significantly in the last four years.
As part of the tightening of this triangular relations, in January 2025, SOCAR was allowed to invest in Israel’s gas reservoir and granting the gas exploration license in Israel is a subsequent step.
The latest gas exploration step comes after the early 2025 move when Israeli businessman Aaron Frenkel’s has entered into a most significant deal in which he sold to Azerbaijan state firm SOCAR 10% of Israel’s second-largest gas field, Tamar, at $510m value, thus expanding further into Israel’s energy assets.
Getting Acquainted With Israel’s Leaders
The gas exploration agreement signing ceremony will take place at Israel’s Ministry of Energy, between Eli Cohen, Israel’s Minister of Energy, and Mr. Jabarov. The visiting minister plans to also meet with President Herzog, Minister of Economy Nir Barkat and currently a Knesset member Ze’ev Elkin who served as Minister of Construction and Housing, Minister of Jerusalem and Heritage, and Minister Liaison between the Government and the Knesset.
The Azerbaijani minister also scheduled to meet with Amnon Shashua, founder of Mobileye, the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies, including hardware, software, and mapping solutions, with the heads of Bank Leumi and other companies of mutual interest.
President Aliyev’s Emissary In Israel
During February 2025, Netanyahu met in his official office, in Jerusalem, with Hikmet Hajiyev, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Republic of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Among other discussed issues, there was a warm chivalry exchange in which Mr. Hajiyev conveyed President Aliyev’s greetings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Netanyahu reciprocated. In their meeting the two discussed the bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel as well as regional developments.
Azerbaijan’s Durable Support For Israel
Proudly doing so, Azerbaijan continued to support Israel throughout the Swords of Iron War that started after October 7, 2023 Hamas’s atrocities in Israel.
There were no demonstrations against Israel in the country and there were even quite a few expressions of solidarity with Israel. Azerbaijani bloggers expressed support for Israel and attacked Hamas.
Azerbaijan’s support for Israel was expressed in other ways as well. Throughout the war, now in its second year, Azerbaijan kept to its oil supply contractual agreement with Israel. It continued, even increased, the supply of fuel to Israel despite an Iranian campaign against oil exports to Israel by Muslim countries, alluding to Azerbaijan.
It is important to note that during peacetime Azerbaijan supplies a third of the State of Israel’s oil consumption. In 2023, Israel was Azerbaijan’s 6th largest oil buyer, importing $713 million worth for the country’s oil consumption.
Protecting Azerbaijan’s Jewish Community
Additionally, during July 2023 Azerbaijan’s security services thwarted a terror attack against Israel’s embassy in Baku and arrested an Iranian terrorist who was on his way to carry out the attack.
In January 2025, Azerbaijani security forces arrested two suspects who had planned to murder the country’s Jewish community senior official.
Senior Azeri officials have made it clear in closed discussions that they support Israel actions and wish it to defeat Hamas. Being strongly committed to its relations with Israel Azerbaijan has even gotten into somewhat hot water with its strong backer and partner in many aspects, the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Erdoğan, who has been leading a clear anti-Israel political line since the outbreak of the war.
Bilateral Relations Strategy
Does this gas exploration collaboration move symbolize part of Azerbaijan and Israel’s strategy in the face of the Iranian threat? Time will tell.
One sure factor is that Azerbaijan and Israel are actively working to help the United States, along President Donald Trump’s policy, to bring stability in a world that is rather unstable.
