"I have repeatedly said that in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, I am on the side of the Azerbaijani people. The last April events of 2016 proved once again that Azerbaijan will not tolerate an indefinite status quo, and therefore I consider Azerbaijan’s position to be fair and compliant with international standards the rights".
The mayor of the Israeli city of Akko (Acre) Shimon Lancry also stated about this during a meeting with a delegation of Azerbaijani women who arrived in the State of Israel led by Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva, the head of the Azerbaijani House of Akko, the head of the Azerbaijani Mountain-Jewish community of Akko Shirin Nehamia Michaeli and the head representative office of the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism in Israel, expert in international relations Arye Gut.
"We Israelis know perfectly well what the war and terror are. Two months ago, in the framework of the international campaign" Justice for Khojaly ", with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, we conducted documentary photo exhibition dedicated to the act of genocide in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly. For me personally, this photo exhibition and event about the atrocities and vandalism of Armenians committed against the Azerbaijani people were shocked. I hope that the occupied lands will be liberated and Azerbaijani refugees will be able to return to their homes," said Shimon Lancri.
Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva thanked the mayor of Akko and the Azerbaijani mountain-Jewish community for the high level of the photo exhibition in the framework of the international campaign "Justice for Khojaly".
"27 years ago, in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly, the innocent population of Azerbaijan, including old people, women and children, was cruelly and inhumanly massacred only because they were Azerbaijani. The whole world must know about the brutality and barbarity of Armenians, and the criminals must answer before an international court. The Jewish people can better understand Armenian fascism, which ended in an act of genocide in Khojaly.
Shimon Lancry, you are a true friend of Azerbaijan in Israel. Along with support to Azerbaijan, you are implementing ambitious projects for the benefit of our Azerbaijani community. Thanks to your initiative, the Coordination Center of Mountain Jews-immigrants from Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan House in Akko appeared for the first time in Israel, which is a real bridge of strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel, ”said Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva.
"During the historical and successful visit of Shimon Lancry to Azerbaijan, arriving and seeing such a warm and sincere attitude towards Jews by the Azerbaijani people and the state, and personally by the President of Azerbaijan, mayor Shimon Lancry decided that there was a need for the construction and operation of the Azerbaijan House in Acre I am proud that, together with my brother Arye Gut, we managed to make the mayor of the city of Akko a true friend of Azerbaijan. Today, Shimon Lancry is doing everything in his power to make the Azerbaijan House The modern symbol of the ancient and multicultural city of Akko, which is home to the largest community of immigrants from Azerbaijan.
It should be emphasized that it was the Mayor of Acre Shimon Lancry and the President of the International Charity Foundation for Mountain Jews "STMEGI" German Zakharyayev who initiated the construction and creation of a new multifunctional equipped building of the Coordination Center for Mountain Jews from Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan House in Akko, where the representative office Baku International Center for Multiculturalism in the State of Israel also operates today,"- said Shirin Nehamia Michaeli.
"In the ancient land of Azerbaijan, Judaism and Islam, fire worship and Christianity existed. This land continues to show an incredible aspiration for tolerance. The village of Red Town is the only and unique place of mountain living in the world for Jews, this is the real pride of Azerbaijan. Here Jews and Azerbaijanis live for centuries, feel like brothers, here they are bound by a common destiny and a common history.
And we declare with all responsibility to the whole world and most importantly to the Armenian occupiers that the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is also our tragedy and pain, since truth and justice are on the side of Azerbaijan. In this terrible war against the invaders, Jews and Azerbaijanis always spoke together - we lived, rejoiced and fought together. We, natives of Azerbaijan, are proud of the fact that in this war against the Armenian invaders one of the first national heroes of independent Azerbaijan was our brother Albert Agarunov, who became a symbol of courage and brotherhood of the Azerbaijani and Jewish peoples.
We are grateful to the Almighty God that he gave us the opportunity to be born, grow and live right next to this wonderful, tolerant and hospitable Azerbaijani people. We are proud that we were born in Azerbaijan, on this blessed land, which has become our Motherland.
The head of the Azerbaijani state, Ilham Aliyev, shows a caring and warm attitude to the traditions and lives of national minorities, including the country's Jewish community, which has no precedent in the world. Under the patronage of the President of the country, two synagogues and the largest Jewish educational center in the South Caucasus were built. It is planned to create the first Jewish museum in Azerbaijan, which will be the first such museum in the South Caucasus. There is practically no other country in the Islamic world, except Azerbaijan, which has such deep, close and comprehensive relations with Israel. The relations of the Azerbaijani state with the Jewish community are magnificent and wonderful, "said Arye Gut.
The mayor of the Israeli city of Akko noted that having visited Azerbaijan, he personally felt the warmth and hospitality, tolerance and multiculturalism of the Azerbaijani people.
"It was immigrants from Azerbaijan and my close friends, Nehemiah Shirin Michaeli and Arieh Gut, who opened a country called Azerbaijan to me. They always in Israel say with pride that there has never been anti-Semitism in Azerbaijan and the Jews have never felt themselves, foreigners. Having arrived and personally saw such a warm and sincere attitude towards Jews, I was inspired and proud to be a friend of Azerbaijan, "said Shimon Lankri.
The Mayor of Akko noted that he hopes for a peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"Israel has repeatedly stated that it respects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and I share this point of view. Today, the State of Israel and the Mayor's Office of Akko are together with Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people," Shimon Lancry concluded.
Then, a meeting was held between the deputy of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Ganira Pashayeva, and representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Azerbaijan House in Akko.
