Netanyahu to Visit Central Asia
Local Editor
Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to embark on a rare visit to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amid "Israeli" media fanfare hailing the regime's "common interests" with the two Muslim-majority countries.
The two-day tour, which is to begin on Tuesday, is the first one to be made by an incumbent "Israeli" premier to the region in a quarter century.
Members of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan's political faction gathered in front of the country's Foreign Ministry building in the capital, Baku, protesting Netanyahu's planned visit to their country.
Meanwhile, The Times of "Israel" billed the trip as a vehicle to "bolster trade, [and] political support" with the two Muslim countries.
Azerbaijan, which supplies 40 percent of "Israel's" oil, is a notable trade partner of the regime. Baku also maintained controversial, strong military cooperation with Tel Aviv. The two sides have previously signed an agreement on the sale to the Caucasian country of 1.6 billion dollar worth of "Israeli" drones, anti-aircraft systems, and missiles.
Relatively, the "Israel" Aerospace Industries Ltd announced in the run-up to Netanyahu's visit that it would build a drone factory in Baku, while reports pointed to the republic's interest in "Israel's" Iron Dome missile system.
For its part, the Jerusalem Post described the bilateral partnership as an "iceberg," with no more visible part than a tip. "The invisible parts of this ‘iceberg' are mutual benefits," it wrote in an opinion piece.
Netanyahu will, however, reportedly spend no more than seven hours in Azerbaijan, after which he will head to Kazakhstan with a reported agenda to discuss the potential provision of "counterterrorism" training and technologies for the Asian country.
The trip comes amid considerable criticism, even among the traditional allies, of Tel Aviv's persistent expansion of illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Azerbaijan shares an extensive border with Iran. Also on Monday, university students gathered in the northwestern Iranian Ardabil Province, which borders the Republic of Azerbaijan, protesting the upcoming visit to the Shia-majority nation by Netanyahu, whom they condemned for committing grave crimes against Palestinians.
The protesters chanted "down with "Israel"" and denounced the visit as an unwelcome inroad into Azerbaijan.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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