Talks are underway for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Azerbaijan, which has been serving as a mediator between Israel and Turkey, a source told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
Discussions over the potential visit were first reported by Ariel Kahana of Israel Hayom.
This comes amid a recent increase in tensions between Israel and Turkey, with the Jerusalem Post reporting earlier this month that preliminary talks have begun between the two nations regarding Syria.
Israel has been striking Syria for several months, with some messaging that the strikes are designed to keep Turkey from moving into airbases near Palmyra and Hama.
Azerbaijan, which is friendly with Turkey and Israel, may help smooth over tensions.
Israel-Azeri relations
Israel and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations for over thirty years (since 1992), and for the last twenty, Azerbaijan has been exporting crude oil and gas to Israel, meeting about 40% of Israel’s oil needs. On March 17, Israel signed a gas exploration agreement with Azerbaijan’s state oil company, SOCAR.
Additionally, the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) revealed in February that Azerbaijan has become the first Muslim-majority country to incorporate a definition of antisemitism into textbooks.
Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.