Iran’s reported threats to the Azerbaijan government have led to the cancellation of the Baku convention for the Conference of European Rabbis, an event that was set to be held in early November.
The conference did not tell The Jerusalem Post why the event was canceled but did relate that the Azerbaijan government had been supportive of the organization throughout the troubles.
“The Conference of European Rabbis regrets to announce that its convention in Baku, scheduled for next week, has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control,” the conference said.
“We wish to thank the government of Azerbaijan for its continued support and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
Media reports said the Mossad had shut down the conference due to security threats from the Islamic Republic.
The conference is now dealing with the fallout of the cancellation of the November 3-6 event, trying to ensure that rabbis are reimbursed for their scheduled flights to Baku.
Conference president Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt told the Post that they were trying to ensure that the convention would still be held this year, possibly in Israel.
Israeli ministers such as Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli and Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu were reportedly endeavoring to help the conference relocate to Israel.
“We are going to have this convention one way or another,” said Goldschmidt.
'Historic convention' to address freedom of religion, European antisemtism, Abraham Accords
According to conference promotional material, the “historic convention” was set to address issues such as freedom of religion, antisemitism in Europe, and the Abraham Accords.
The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.