After Israel seemingly out of the blue became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state on Dec. 26, most people in the world—myself included—stormed over to Google to search: “Somali… what?”
Just who is this amusingly named nation about which even U.S. President Donald Trump said, “Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?”
And what does Israel hope to accomplish by doing something that was on nobody’s agenda, anywhere, except for perhaps the government of Somaliland itself?
While the announcement took most of the world by utter surprise, citizens of Somaliland took to the streets rejoicing and waving Israeli flags—a rare act these days when hatred for the Jewish state usually disseminates from Islamic nations.
Israel’s announcement was oddly timed: It came late on a Friday, which is not a working day in Israel, and was for all intents and purposes a continuation of the Christmas holiday in the West.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the move as part of the “spirit of the Abraham Accords,” the U.S.-brokered normalization deals with Arab and Muslim-majority states. His office released video of him speaking to President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (who is actually the state’s sixth president!).
This breakaway region in the Horn of Africa has been long functioning with its own government, currency, passports and security forces since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.
Strategic Geography vs Calculated Diplomacy
So what is Israel aiming for by taking such a decisive stand that has been widely condemned?
There is so much geopolitical intrigue here. Here’s a quick overview:
- Somaliland is located across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, where the Houthis terror group is based.
- It is also close to the Red Sea, framing the southern end while Israel is on the northern side.
- The move pissed off Turkey, which has a presence in Somalia.
- This comes while the ink was still wet on agreements between Israel, Cyprus and Greece about mutual defense in the Mediterranean Sea—which also pissed off Turkey since it was more or less aimed at Turkey.
- It was NOT condemned by the UAE, which is backing one of the outlier groups in Yemen (in opposition to Saudi Arabia which backs the Yemeni government and Iran which backs the Houthis).
Whoever is in Somaliland would have a vantage point of Houthi missile and UAV activity; Iranian maritime activity; is a counterweight to Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the region.
Remember that in addition to launching missiles at Israel over the past two years, the Houthis were also terrorizing ships in the Red Sea and waters in this region.
Netanyahu’s reference to the Abraham Accords aside, some wonder when Somaliland will receive Palestinians displaced by the Gaza war in exchange for Israel’s recognition.
But one analyst sees this as a power play by Israel against Turkish expansionism in Africa.
Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak writes in Israel Hayom that the Israeli response to Turkey’s military alliance with Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan was first rapprochement with the Hellenic states, and now with Somaliland in direct opposition to Somalia, in direct defiance of Turkey:
“The strategic importance of Somalia for Turkey was revealed in December last year. In December 2024, Turkish media announced that the Erdogan administration was building a long-range ballistic missile launch base in Somalia. Thanks to the establishment of the missile launch base, the Turkish armed forces will acquire the ability to conduct ballistic missile tests without disturbing Turkey’s neighbors.”
Jerusalem’s recognition, he writes, weakens Ankara’s connection to Africa.
“In the face of Turkey’s attempts to establish regional hegemony and encircle Israel through military alliances in Syria and a massive strategic presence in the Horn of Africa, it seems that Israel has finally decided to act and is now implementing multi-area containment measures. Combining forces with the Hellenic countries in the Mediterranean, alongside the brilliant political move of recognizing Somaliland, constitute a strategic response that transfers the initiative to Jerusalem.”
“These steps not only weaken Turkey’s grip on critical shipping lanes and centers of political power, but also make it clear to Turkey that Israel is aware of what is happening on the ground and is prepared to act creatively and actively to protect its national interests in every area.”
