Officials discuss ties amid continued international opposition to Israel’s recognition of the territory.
On Monday, during a meeting with President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar defended the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Somali separatist region of Somaliland.
“Mr. President, there are certainly challenges to building the relationship between Israel and Somaliland. Unfortunately, there are many who are trying to undermine it, but they will not succeed. No one, absolutely no one, will decide for Israel, nor will anyone decide for Somaliland with whom we maintain diplomatic relations,” Saar said during the meeting.
On Dec. 26, 2025, Israel announced its official recognition of Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state,” becoming the first country to take that step. This decision, however, prompted widespread international opposition.
Saar acknowledged that he had met secretly with Abdillahi in Jerusalem in October, a meeting that was not disclosed to the media. He also expressed his gratitude for Abdillahi’s decision to establish Somaliland’s embassy in West Jerusalem.
Abdillahi, in turn, thanked Saar for welcoming him to the country and expressed his desire to establish trade ties with Israel in the near future.
“We believe Israeli investors will find great opportunities (in Somaliland) in finance, construction, agriculture, energy, tourism, logistics and extractive industries,” he said.
Abdillahi’s agenda in Israel also includes an official visit to the Israeli parliament, where he will be honored this afternoon with a welcoming ceremony and will hold a meeting with parliamentary speaker Amir Ohana.
The strategic rapprochement between Israel and Somaliland has triggered a wave of global condemnation. The African Union, the Arab League, the European Union, China, and blocs led by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt rejected the move in defense of Somalia’s territorial integrity, describing it as a “dangerous precedent”.
Somaliland, which was a British protectorate until 1960, declared its separation from Somalia in 1991 following the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
Unlike the rest of Somalia, which has since been mired in conflict and violence by the jihadist group Al Shabab, Somaliland enjoys relative peace and has its own constitution and currency, although it lacked international legitimacy until Israel’s recognition.
In April, the Israeli government approved the appointment of Michael Lotem as its first ambassador to the territory. One month later, Somaliland announced that it would soon establish its embassy in West Jerusalem, a city considered by Israel to be its one and indivisible capital, a position not recognized by most of the international community.
Source: EFE
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