A New Policy, ANCA Lead 18-Organization Coalition Calling for Rejection of Azerbaijan in Gaza Security Force

A New Policy and ANCA are leading a coalition of 18 groups expressing concern about any Azerbaijani participation in Gaza stabilization forces.

The ANCA and A New Policy led a coalition statement rejecting any Azerbaijani role in the Gaza stabilization force - citing Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of Artsakh & its deepening security ties with Israel, reports the POLITICO National Security Daily

Coalition Cites Artsakh Ethnic Cleansing, Israeli Military Partnership in Opposition to Azerbaijan Peacekeeping Role

WASHINGTON, DC, DC, UNITED STATES, November 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A New Policy and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) have rallied a coalition of 18 U.S. organizations to oppose the potential inclusion of Azerbaijan in the International Security Force (ISF) planned for Gaza under President Trump's 20-Point Plan. The coalition released a statement urging the United States and international partners to reject any Azerbaijani military presence in the force, citing its ethnic cleansing of Artsakh's Armenian population in 2023 and deep military partnership with Israel as reasons for their opposition.

The coalition statement – first reported in Politico's National Security Daily - argues that international security forces must bring both impartiality and a demonstrated track record of respect for human rights – standards the coalition says Azerbaijan fails to meet on both counts.
According to media reports, Azerbaijan is being considered as a potential contributor to the ISF. The coalition points to what it describes as a well-documented pattern of human rights abuses and extensive military and economic ties to Israel.

"The Armenian and Palestinian people both have a long history of oppression, and in many instances a shared history of oppression", stated Executive Director of A New Policy, Josh Paul. "At a time when those who are responsible for that oppression are finding shared interest in their collaboration, it is incumbent upon those of us on the side of freedom and justice to respond with unity. The notion that two of the world's most odious military forces should operate alongside each other in Gaza is as absurd as it is shocking."

The coalition's statement details how Azerbaijan's military relationship with Israel creates what the coalition describes as an inherent conflict of interest. "Israel is a major supplier to Azerbaijan's military, accounting for up to 70% of Azerbaijan's arms imports – including of key munitions such as the Barak-8 Extended Range air-defense system and advanced unmanned aerial systems including the Heron and Searcher, and loitering weapons such as the Harop," the statement notes. "Israel's role as a key supplier to Azerbaijan, particularly of cutting-edge and AI-enabled military technology, as well as the two nation's strong intelligence and security cooperation ties, bring considerable doubt as to whether Azerbaijan would be willing to call balls and strikes when it comes to ceasefire violations, or will instead act essentially as a proxy of the Israeli Defense Forces."

Beyond military ties, the statement points to energy dependency as another factor the coalition believes compromises Azerbaijan's neutrality. "Additionally, up to 40% of Israel's oil imports come from Azerbaijan – further casting doubt on Azerbaijan's capacity and willingness to play an impartial role in the proposed International Security Force in Gaza."

The coalition statement cites Azerbaijan's human rights record as an equally disqualifying concern. The coalition statement chronicles Baku's campaign against the Armenian population of Artsakh, noting that "in 2023, Azerbaijan imposed a humanitarian blockade against the Armenian population of Artsakh, depriving the region's 150,000 civilians access to food, fuel, medicine and other essential goods for 10 months – before launching a military assault that resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the Artsakh's entire Armenian population."

The coalition statement says the pattern of abuse extends beyond the blockade and forced displacement, stating that Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain and abuse Armenian civilians and political leaders from Artsakh, engages in widespread destruction and desecration of Armenian Christian cultural heritage, and maintains its occupation of sovereign Armenian territory following 2022 border incursions that included war crimes such as the summary execution of unarmed Armenian soldiers.

"Azerbaijan's genocide of Artsakh – a crime openly aided and abetted by Israel – disqualifies it as a peacekeeping presence in Gaza or anywhere else for that matter," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "The same Azerbaijan that's buying billions of dollars' worth of Israeli arms – that ships tens of millions of barrels of oil to Israel on an annual basis – cannot credibly be expected to protect Palestinian civilians. Just the opposite, in fact. We are proud to stand in solidarity with A New Policy and all our coalition partners in opposing any role for Azerbaijan in Gaza, rejecting outright this reckless attempt to whitewash Azerbaijan's genocidal violence at the expense of Palestinians lives and land."

The coalition comprises organizations dedicated to human rights, genocide prevention, Middle East peace, and justice advocacy. Joining ANCA and A New Policy in the statement are: American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Churches for Middle East Peace, CODEPINK, DAWN, Disability Justice for Palestine, International Association of Genocide Scholars, Just Foreign Policy, Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention & Human Security, Migrant Roots Media, National Iranian American Council, Palestinian Christians for Justice, Progressive Democrats of America - Greater Middle East Alliances, US Campaign For Palestinian Rights (USCPR Action), Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US), and YUSRA Action.

The coalition statement concludes with a direct appeal: "We urge the international community including the United States to reject any role for the Azerbaijani military in the conceived International Security Force for Gaza. Azerbaijan's egregious human rights record and recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh – in addition to its growing dependence on Israeli military technology and Israel's reliance on Azerbaijani energy – make it uniquely unsuited for any peacekeeping or stabilizing role in the Palestinian territories."

The full coalition statement is available on A New Policy's website

Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Armenian National Committee of America
+1 703-585-8254
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