William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, shared his recent visit to Azerbaijan with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News.
“I’d recommend that everyone visit there. There are 20 flights a week from Tel Aviv to Baku. It’s amazing. Jews have lived there for over 2,000 years, and for 2,000 years there’s literally been no acts of antisemitism," he said.
He credited Azerbaijan’s leadership for fostering close ties with the Jewish community and with Israel. “The president and his father, the former president, have been just remarkable in their connection to the Jewish community of Azerbaijan, but also their connection here to Israel, to the Israeli defense industry, to the Israeli government."
He also emphasized the country’s strategic importance. “Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that borders both Iran and Russia, so it is very much right there in the hub of it all. They are definitely on our team here."
Daroff noted that Azerbaijan is “93% Shia" and deeply involved with regional and international Muslim institutions. “Hopefully these ancient peoples who have been with us for over 2,000 years will help lead the vanguard of others in the Muslim community who want to embrace Israel."
The Conference held its annual meeting in Jerusalem this week, and Daroff said participants have met leaders from across Israel’s political spectrum. “We’ve seen the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke to us on Sunday night. We’ve seen the opposition leader, Yair Lapid. We’ve seen Benny Gantz. Today we heard from Naftali Bennett. We’re hearing from the whole range of the political leadership."
Beyond politics, he stressed the emotional weight of meetings with families affected by the war. “We’ve met with hostage families and released hostages, and the families of the fallen, both soldiers and hostages who were killed and murdered by Hamas. We’re really getting a sense for where Israel stands today."
While acknowledging relief at the return of hostages, he warned that uncertainty remains. “Not being sure about whether Iranian missiles are going to be flying through the sky in the next few weeks is certainly a concern. How to ensure that Hamas is demilitarized and what Gaza 2.0 looks like makes this a crisis time in Israel. Donald Trump certainly throws a lot of curveballs out there and is not somebody who’s easy to predict."
Still, Daroff emphasized resilience and solidarity. “This is what we as a Jewish people, and you as Israelis, have been dealing with since the beginning. We are here as American Jews to say that we stand with you. When you get hit in the face, we get hurt. When you’re standing and celebrating, we’re here to celebrate with you. As a Jewish state, you all have thrived here for decades. As a Jewish people, we have survived and thrived for thousands of years."
Daroff said the aftermath of the October 7th massacre was deeply felt in the United States - and not only because of what happened in Israel. “It was a punch in the gut for the American Jewish community. On October 8th, we had our own punch in the gut, when our neighbors and our allies turned out to not be our friends."
That realization, he said, has strengthened internal bonds. “It’s something that’s brought us together as American Jewry, and as world Jewry, and closer diaspora-Israel relations," Daroff said. “At the end of the day, while we have many friends out there, it’s the Jewish people who will stand strong for the Jewish people. I’m certain that you and we have what it takes to move forward."