Unexpected: the Muslim country that held a memorial service for October 7

This week a memorial service was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to mark the one year anniversary of the October 7 disaster. The event was held at the Jewish school in the city, in the presence of community rabbis, students and distinguished guests.

The event is particularly notable due to the fact that it took place in Azerbaijan, a Muslim country known for its uncompromising support for the State of Israel. During the ceremony, prayers were read in memory of the fallen, and words of encouragement were heard from the community leaders.

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Rabbi Zamir Isayev, rabbi of the Sephardic-Georgian community in Baku, gave a touching speech in which he emphasized the close relationship between the Jews of the world and the importance of passing on the memory of the disaster to future generations. “Every Jew, anywhere in the world, is part of one big family,” noted Rabbi Issev. “The Jews of Azerbaijan are always deeply connected to the State of Israel. It is important for us to pass on to the younger generation the memory of the difficult events that befell our nation and to do everything we can to prevent their recurrence.”

Rabbi Issev added and praised the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, for the tolerant climate he is creating in his country towards all religions, including the Jews. According to him, the residents of Azerbaijan – Muslims and Jews alike – live in harmony and mutual respect. “You could see a lot of support even a year ago, when after the difficult events crowds of citizens brought flowers and toys to the Israeli embassy in Baku as a sign of sympathy with the victims.”

Besides the ceremony at the Jewish school, a special conference was also held at the Israeli embassy in Baku, with the participation of rabbis, community representatives, the Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister and about 20 ambassadors from different countries, including an ambassador from the Emirates. At the conference, Kaddish was said in memory of the fallen and wreaths were placed as a sign of respect in their memory. The events that highlight the extraordinary cooperation between Azerbaijan and the State of Israel are another expression of the deep connection between the two countries and communities.