Israeli lawmaker demands to stop the delivery of Israeli drones to Azerbaijan

Israeli lawmaker demands to stop the delivery of Israeli drones to Azerbaijan –

Zehava Galon

In letter to defense minister, Galon demands Israel halt delivery until Azeris pledge not to use Israeli arms against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Haaretz – Israel intends to deliver more drones to the Azeri army in the coming days, according to a letter sent to Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon by Meretz party chairwoman Zehava Galon.

In the letter, Galon demanded that Ya’alon put a stop to the delivery of Israeli drones to Azerbaijan, which is fighting against Armenia in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, until it receives an absolute commitment that its army will not use Israeli armaments against Armenian forces.

“As you know, Armenia and Azerbaijan are both friendly to Israel, and it is inconceivable that Israeli weapons be used in a war between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” wrote Galon.

Galon noted that according to what she knows, Israel already supplied the Azeri army some “suicide” Harop drones manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries, like the one seen in a video from the battlefield published a few days ago. She added that according to information in her hands, Israel is expected to deliver additional drones to the Azeris. An Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman asserted that one of the drones seen in the video crashed into a bus and killed seven “Armenian volunteers” en route to the battlefield.

“Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan, and the states signed deals worth some $5 billion in recent years according to reports,” remarked Galon. “It’s our obligation to ensure that this weaponry not be turned on countries friendly to us, and certainly not against civilians. Because there is a serious fear that laws of war were violated with Israeli weapons. I ask that you order the halting of additional drone supplies to Azerbaijan until a commitment is obtained not to use them in battles in Nagorno-Karabah.”

Zehava Galon is a member of Knesset for Meretz.