On November 18, Azerbaijan's parliament officially approved the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel, making Azerbaijan the first Shiite Muslim majority country to open an embassy in Israel.
Azerbaijan's embassy in Israel will be based in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem, meaning that Azerbaijan still does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A new embassy in Azerbaijan is being built, and the country, which previously had a tourism and trade representative office in Tel Aviv, has now been officially upgraded to an embassy. Previously, "friendly relations" between Israel and Azerbaijan had lasted for 30 years, and Israel has maintained an embassy in Baku since 1993.
The deepening of Azerbaijani-Israeli relations is set against the backdrop of continued tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Iran's support for Armenia and the establishment of a new consulate in Armenia. At the same time, Israel, which has tense relations with Iran and supports Azerbaijan, has strengthened its support for Azerbaijan.
