On February 28 at 7pm at the Begin Center, the Economic Peace Center is hosting a conference titled “Karabakh and the Khojaly Genocide,” which will highlight the recent visit of Ayoob Kara, who served as Israel’s Communication, Cyber and Satellite Minister under Netanyahu, and journalist Rachel Avraham to Azerbaijan last summer.
Mrs. Avraham will speak about the history of the Khojaly Genocide, why it has significance for Jewish people, and how Azerbaijan rose from the ashes of the Khojaly Genocide to become a thriving nation today. She will discuss what she saw recently in Karabakh, as an indication for what happened in Khojaly. She will also discuss what she saw in Baku and the Red City, citing it as an example of what Karabakh can become in the future.
Mr. Kara will speak about the potential for strong Azerbaijani-Israeli relations, the role that Azerbaijan can play in the Abraham Accords and the role that Israel can play in helping Azerbaijan to rebuild the Karabakh region. He will also discuss his experience in Azerbaijan and how horrible the Khojaly genocide was, and speak of parallels to the Jewish Holocaust.
In addition, prominent Middle East scholar Dr. Mordechai Kedar will speak about the Azerbaijan-Israeli relationship and how it can influence developments in the greater Middle East.
Lev Spivak, the President of the International Association of Israel and Azerbaijan, will also come and speak about the Khojaly genocide and its relevance for today. Prominent Azerbaijani journalist Anastacia Lavrina, Azerbaijani Jewish activist Esther Ha-Levi, prominent human rights activist Irina Tsukerman, and Rabbi Zamir Issayev will be speaking to us via zoom.
The event will be mostly in English, with Lev Spivak speaking in Hebrew. Vaccination is required for entry.
