This comes despite Turkey's ongoing diplomatic campaign against Israel behind the scenes, trying to block it on almost every possible international forum.
The next day, Israel protested the troubling move, which it saw as politicizing the issue. The U.S. and Canada supported Israel's position and pressured the Turkish representative to explain his objection, but he provided no explanation other than stating he had received direct instructions from Ankara to oppose the Israeli observer. This is the first time Turkey has so openly and abruptly opposed the appointment of an Israeli company without any prior warning. A diplomatic source warned that this move could encourage other member states to act against Israel.
'Azerbaijan's president committed to strengthening relations'
"It’s not the first time Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has helped Israel in efforts to bring reconciliation with Muslim countries, especially with Turkey," said Rabbi Marc Schneier, an American rabbi who maintains close ties with the Azerbaijani government, often visiting Baku. "Why does he do this?" Schneier added. "Because regional stability is important to him, as well as fostering good relations between Israel and Turkey. He also has a historical commitment to building and strengthening relations between Muslims and Jews. There is no other leader in the world who enjoys such a high level of trust from both Israel and Turkey."
Schneier, the rabbi of Hampton Synagogue and an advisor to several Gulf monarchs, founded and heads the Foundation for Jewish-Muslim Interfaith Understanding. Over the past two decades, he has been warmly welcomed in the palaces of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. He has been recognized by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in the U.S.
