December 23, 2008 - 14:58 AMT
Azerbaijan's lobbyist leaving Knesset
Yosef Shagal, Russian-speaking lobbyist of the Israeli-Turkic strategic alliance announced that he gives up politics and returns to journalism.

A Baku native, Shagal became leader of the Azerbaijan-Israel International Association in April 2007 to "cement ties between the two states."

In spring 2008, Yosef Shagal opposed discussion of the Armenian Genocide in Knesset, describing it as a threat to relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Shagal will not enter the history of Israeli parliamentarianism but his activities were significant for Israeli presence in the post-soviet area and for the development of the South Caucasus vector to neutralize the Iranian threat, Turtsia.ru reports.