Humiliation of Israeli regime in Baku
At a time when the Zionist regime is enduring its most severe period of international isolation due to its atrocities in Gaza, Isaac Herzog traveled to Azerbaijan to attend the 7th CICA summit, hoping to alleviate isolation.
Several points are noteworthy in this regard:
1. CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia), established in 1992, comprises 28 member states. According to a report by the Anadolu Agency, only seven presidents and one monarch (Qatar) were present at this summit. The number of heads of state or government in attendance typically serves as an indicator of a summit’s significance; indeed, the CICA Secretary-General had requested that a large number of national leaders participate in the Azerbaijan summit. Naturally, the minimal turnout of heads of state in Baku diminished the political standing of the gathering. Nevertheless, despite being aware of the limited number of national leaders attending, the Israeli regime sent Herzog to Baku, hoping to break out of its isolation.
2. A repeat of the incident involving Netanyahu in New York occurred at this summit: delegations from 13 of the 28 member states walked out of the hall while the head of the Zionist regime was delivering his speech.The delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran—led by Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs—was among the first to leave the hall, joining 12 other delegations in a protest against Israel’s war crimes against the people of Gaza. The act of countries walking out of an international summit hall serves as a symbolic diplomatic gesture—a form of humiliating protest that undermines the standing of the targeted nation. The departure of national representatives during Herzog’s speech not only created an unfavorable image for the regime but also deepened its international isolation, particularly within Asia. On his return journey to Tel Aviv, Herzog traveled covertly aboard a commercial flight operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL); effectively, he traversed Turkish airspace without having secured Turkish authorization for his official aircraft—in essence, he fled. This constituted yet another humiliation for Israel.
3. As a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Republic of Azerbaijan ought to have refrained from inviting Herzog to the CICA summit, given the crimes committed by the Zionist regime. Naturally, the objections raised by various nations—most notably Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, all of which are close allies of Baku—are directed at Azerbaijan’s actions; such a move will inevitably diminish the country’s international legitimacy and standing within the Islamic world. Today, opposition to Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine stands as a primary focal point for protest among Islamic nations. Consequently, any attempt by Baku to provide a pretext for justifying these crimes will encounter staunch opposition from those who support the Palestinian cause.
4. During the CICA summit, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister called for the expulsion of Israel from the organization. This request was timely and necessary; it has the potential to transform the issue of the Zionist regime’s expulsion into a demand shared across Asia and the globe. The primary objective behind the establishment of CICA is to strengthen peace, security, stability, and cooperation within the Asian continent. Today, Israel stands as the foremost source of insecurity and instability in Asia; thus, the time has come for this regime to be removed from the CICA framework. While achieving this may present certain challenges, it should be placed on the agenda of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Islamic countries and pursued at appropriate junctures.
