Dear Chaim,
This week, I'd like to ask you about an aspect of Israeli foreign policy which has been bothering me for some time:
What are your thoughts on the secular Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan? Right now, Israel has excellent relations with these countries, and it has earned hundreds of millions of dollars by selling all kinds of advanced technologies to them.
Also, I have personally interacted with some Kazakh and Uzbek people, and they've made a very good impression on me. Although they are technically Muslims, these people are very secular, and most of them know virtually nothing about the real teachings of Islam. Also, based on my conversations with them, they don't really care about the Arab-Israeli conflict one way or the other, and they seem to have nothing against Jews or Israel.
At the same time, there are many Islamic movements and parties active in those countries, trying to convert the population into "real" Muslims. If these parties ever come to power, those Central Asian republics will almost certainly become dangerous enemies of Israel, America and the West (this has already happened in Tajikistan, to a certain extent).
So, Chaim, what are your thoughts on this issue? Should Israel continue its (very profitable) relations with these countries, as long as their governments remain secular? Or should it immediately cut off all contact with them? – the second option will lead to the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars. Nevertheless, it may prove to be the best course of action in the long run.
Thank you for your answer,
Estragon1396