Netanyahu to make rare trip to Central Asia

Israeli regime's PM Benjamin Netanyahu is to begin a rare visit to Azerbaijan and Kazakstan amid media fanfare, but protesters have already taken to the streets to condemn his presence in the Muslim countries.

According to Press TV, the two-day tour, which is to begin on Tuesday, is the first by an Israeli prime minister to the region in a quarter century.

Members of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan gathered in front of the country’s Foreign Ministry in Baku on Monday, venting their anger at Netanyahu’s planned visit to their country.

Netanyahu will, however, reportedly spend no more than seven hours in Azerbaijan, after which he will head to Kazakhstan with a reported agenda to discuss the potential provision of military training and technologies for the Asian country.

The trip comes amid considerable criticism, even among the traditional allies, of Tel Aviv’s persistent expansion of illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories.

On Monday, university students in Iran's Azari-speaking Ardabil Province held a rally to condemn the visit and Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians.  

The protesters chanted “down with Israel” and denounced the visit as an unwelcome inroad into a Shia Muslim country. 

SS