War Is Bad, But Good Things Happen When Evil Is Defeated. We Periodically Bring You Updates On Some Of Those, As Israel’s Self-Defense War Continues.
FIVE MUSLIM-MAJORITY NATIONS DEEPEN TIES WITH ISRAEL. Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Albania, and Morocco have strengthened their engagement with Israel in recent weeks. And a Pakistani religious leader paid a public visit to the Jewish state and visited the October 7 massacre sites. Despite the ongoing war, Israeli diplomacy continues to break new ground in the Arab and Muslim world.
- Emirati State Weapons Contractor Invests in Israeli Defense Supplier. In a rare public deal, UAE’s state-owned defense conglomerate EDGE has acquired a 30% stake in Israeli military supplier Thirdeye Systems for $10 million—a sign of growing security ties. This was announced on January 28, 2025. See details.
- Azerbaijan’s State Oil Company Buys 10% Stake in Israel’s Tamar Gas Field. SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil giant, is acquiring a 10% stake in Israel’s Tamar natural gas reservoir from businessman Aaron Frenkel—a major energy deal strengthening economic ties. See details.
- Albania Marks Holocaust Day. A member state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Albania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a commemorative event for International Holocaust Remembrance Day and invited American Jewish Congress President Daniel Rosen to address the event. Rosen recalled Albania’s solidarity with the Jewish people during their darkest hour: “Albania’s unwavering commitment to protecting Jews during the Holocaust—rooted in the code of honor, Besa—stands as a powerful testament to courage in humanity’s darkest hour. Thanks to their bravery, every Jew who sought refuge in Albania was saved.”
Daniel Rosen, President of American Jewish Congress, addresses Albania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs event on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in January 2025. Source: Daniel Rosen on LinkedIn.
- Morocco Welcomes Israeli Minister and ignores an attempt by lawyers associated with ‘BDS Morocco’ to block her visit. Despite scaling back visits to Arab states after October 7, Israeli ministers and other senior officials have been frequently visiting Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for Gaza-related diplomacy. However, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev was in Morocco last week for the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety. A fringe Moroccan group moved a local court to try to block her visit, but the court dismissed the petition and the Moroccan government welcomed the Israeli minister. This angered anti-Israel outlets and one of them, based in London and sympathetic to Hamas, accused Morocco of “betrayal” of Palestinians.
- UAE Ambassador Signals Arab Cooperation on Trump’s Gaza Plan. Despite their apprehensions, America’s Arab partners are engaging with the U.S. onPresident Trump’s Gaza plan, and a key statement from theUAE’s ambassador to the U.S., Yousef Al Otaiba,underscores this. Otaiba said the idea of resettlement of Gaza’s residents somewhere else is “difficult” but that there is “no alternative” to this idea for now, pending other ideas in the pipeline from Egypt and other Arab states.Watch Otaiba’s short clip hereand the full interview here.
- Azerbaijan Becomes First Muslim-Majority Country to Include Antisemitism Definition in School Curriculum. Azerbaijan is a country that promotes tolerance and diversity, and there is little evidence of antisemitism there. Now, Azerbaijan has earned the distinction of becoming the first Muslim-majority country to include a definition of antisemitism in its school textbooks. Azerbaijan’s national curriculum explicitly includes Jewish prayers and rituals as part of its educational content and offers a balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, George Deek, who is an Arab-Israeli, called on Arab states to emulate Azerbaijan’s example [see below]. Similar revision of schoolbooks is underway in Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to remove antisemitic references.
- Israeli Innovation on Display in Abu Dhabi. Israeli companies continue to expand their presence in the UAE, strengthening economic ties and fostering new partnerships. This week, ten innovative PropTech and ConTech startups arrived in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of a roadshow organized by the Israeli Ministry of Economy & Industry and the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute. Hosted by Israel’s new Ambassador to the UAE, Yossi Shelley, who assumed charge this week, the event brought Israeli innovators together with UAE developers and real estate leaders to explore exciting collaborations in the construction and property technology sectors. With growing regional cooperation, this roadshow highlights the deepening business ties between Israel and the UAE. Read the ambassador’s announcement here.
Representatives of ten Israeli startups visited Abu Dhabi this week, see here with Yossi Shelley, Israel’s Ambassador to the UAE. Source: @AmbShelley
- Senior Emirati Lawmaker Visits Israel, Promotes Interfaith Coexistence. In another sign of deepening ties between Israel and the UAE, Dr. Ali Al-Nuaimi, Emirati lawmaker and chair of the Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs Committee of the UAE Federal Council, visited Israel and met with Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Safed and member of the Chief Rabbinate Council. Following their meeting, Dr. Al-Nuaimi emphasized the importance of coexistence and reaffirmed a shared commitment to building understanding and peace between communities. See his post and photos from the visit.
Dr. Ali Al-Nuaimi, Chair of Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs Committee at UAE Federal Council meets members of the Chief Rabbinate Council in Israel, during an official visit. Source: @Dralnoaimi
- Pakistani Sufi Leader’s Historic Visit to Israel. In a groundbreaking journey in January, Peer Syed Mudassir Nazar Shah, chairman of the Sufi Council, became the first Pakistani Sufi leader to visit Israel. A custodian of a Sufi order in central Pakistan, Shah’s visit, organized by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA), took him to Jerusalem, the Gaza border, and Re’im—the site of the Nova music festival massacre. Moved by the tragic events of October 7, he described it as “a moment of deep reflection on the universal need for peace” and emphasized that “violence in the name of religion is a betrayal of faith itself.” Shah’s visit not only symbolizes a personal commitment to peace but also opens a window for potential Israel-Pakistan engagement, saying, “Dialogue, not distance, will shape the future of our peoples.” His journey underscores the transformative power of open conversations, challenging long standing taboos, and laying groundwork for broader normalization between Israel and Muslim-majority nations [See the story & JCFA’s post].
The Pakistani Sufi leader visited Israel for the first time, meeting Israeli religious and civil society leaders and spending time at the venue of the Nova music festival massacre and the devastated Israeli towns close to Gaza’s border. Source: Jerusalem Post & JCFA on LinkedIn
