As the Middle East remains volatile and threats from Tehran continue to intensify, the Jewish community in Baku marked Holocaust Remembrance Day with a powerful ceremony that, above all, symbolized the strategic alliance between Azerbaijan and Israel.
The event, which included prayers and gatherings for spiritual strengthening, did not focus solely on the past and the years of the Holocaust: It delivered a sharp and unmistakable message for the future: the shared history of two nations who fought and survived together is an unshakable foundation.
At the central ceremony, particular emphasis was placed on the story of over 55,000 Jews who escaped Nazi persecution during World War II and found safe haven in Azerbaijan. Rabbi Zamir Isayev, Chief Rabbi of the Sephardic community in Baku, stressed that Azerbaijan was, and remains, an island of tolerance and courage.
"In those dark days, when much of the world stood by, the Azerbaijani people opened both their homes and their hearts," Rabbi Isayev said. "Fifty-five thousand of our brothers and sisters were saved thanks to local Righteous Among the Nations who shared with them their last piece of bread. This bond, written in blood and in the saving of lives, is the foundation of the unbreakable alliance we see today between Baku and Jerusalem."
Rabbi Isayev devoted a significant portion of his remarks to the current security tensions and the aggression of the regime in Tehran, which threatens the sovereignty of both Israel and Azerbaijan. He drew a direct line between the attempts to annihilate the Jewish people during the Holocaust and what he described as Iran’s destructive ambitions today.
"Today, we face an enemy that shares the same murderous ideology as the persecutors of the past. Iran is not only threatening Israel, it poses a direct danger to regional stability and to the values of Azerbaijan. But we must remember: ‘The Eternal One of Israel does not lie.’ Just as we survived the Holocaust and rose from the ashes, so too will we stand firm against Iran’s proxies."
He added, in a tone of resolute faith: "Our common enemies seek to intimidate us, but they forget that behind the alliance between our nations stands divine providence. Our faith is the force that sustains us. Those who seek to spread darkness and terror will ultimately disappear, just as all those who tried to destroy us in the past have vanished."
The ceremony in Baku underscored that, particularly at a time when Israel is engaged on multiple fronts against the Iranian axis, ties with Azerbaijan have become more significant than ever. Security cooperation and mutual support are viewed within the Jewish community not merely as a strategic necessity, but as a moral obligation.
Rabbi Isayev also noted that Azerbaijani school textbooks, unlike in much of the Muslim world, include a clear formal definition of antisemitism, recognize the Holocaust as the genocide of six million Jews by the Nazis, and present Israel as a legitimate Jewish state.
"Commemorating the Holocaust in Baku today is deeply symbolic, it is a call for vigilance tomorrow," he concluded. "We do not allow Tehran’s modern antisemitism to raise its head. Today, as Azerbaijan and Israel stand shoulder to shoulder, our message to the world is clear: ‘Never Again’ is not just a slogan, it is a plan of action against anyone who rises to destroy us."