Michael Rubin unjustly slights Azerbaijan in 鈥淚srael Shouldn鈥檛 Fall for the Azeri Trojan Horse鈥� (Letters, March 24). Take his treatment of the country鈥檚 2021 gas-swap deal with Iran. Baku is the covert partner of Tehran, Mr. Rubin says. But Azerbaijan coordinated that deal with the Biden administration to help ease Europe鈥檚 energy crisis. The U.S. Treasury鈥檚 Office of Foreign Assets Control gave the deal a thumb鈥檚 up. There鈥檚 no hidden agenda.
Mr. Rubin also argues that Azerbaijan endangers Israel. Do Israeli views count? Last month I met in Jerusalem with senior officials from both sides of the country鈥檚 cavernous political divide. They couldn鈥檛 agree on whether the sun was shining but unanimously described Azerbaijan as one of Israel鈥檚 top allies. Baku, they confided, delivered crucial assistance during Israel鈥檚 war against Hamas. The Azerbaijani Jewish community is safer and better integrated into the society than Jews in most European countries.