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 Somaliland |  Israel |
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Israel–Somaliland relations refers to the relationship betweenSomaliland andIsrael. Both side have no formal diplomatic relations.[1]
Israel was one of 35 countries that recognised State of Somaliland's brief independence in 1960.[2]
In 1995, then President ofSomaliland,Ibrahim Egal wrote a letter to Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin seeking to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries.[3][4] Egal spoke of the need to jointly counterIslamism in the region.[5] AccordingAbdirahman Tuur, the first president of Somaliland, Egal had sought to form a relationship with Israel in hopes of gaining recognition from the United States.[6]
In february 2010,Yigal Palmor, former spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry and then head of International Affairs at the Jewish Agency, referenced Egal’s warning about rising Islamic fundamentalism and the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and noted that both Somaliland and Israel were politically isolated.[7] That same month Palmor was quoted in theHaaretz Daily that his government was ready to recognise Somaliland again.[8][4] Although, he stated that the Somaliland government has not contacted the Israeli government to seek ties.
In September 2001, it was also reported Somaliland was looking towardsJerusalem afterSaudi Arabia banned imports of livestock from the country due toRift Valley fever.[9] During this time several Israeli businessmen were also in the nation's capitalHargeisa.[9] However, PresidentKahin who succeeded Egal is reported to have avoided approaching Israel to prevent straining fragile relations with the Arabs and Muslim world, which it heavily relies on its livestock trade.[4]
In August 2020, Somaliland expressed its support for theIsrael–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement.[10]Africa Intelligence observed that in February 2022 that the Israelis had dispatched several teams to inspectrunways built by theSoviet Union in Somaliland.[11]
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In March 2025, it has been reported that Israel and theUnited States approached Somaliland (along with Somalia and Sudan), proposing the countries take in refugees from the Gaza Strip, amid theGaza war.President Trump revealed, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a meeting with him in the White House, that he believes the United States should control theGaza Strip at the conclusion of the ongoing fighting between Israel andHamas. After initially proposing that Arab countries take in Gazan refugees, in particular Jordan and Egypt, these countries strongly rejected accepting any displaced people from Gaza.Egypt has mostly kept their side of the border with Gaza completely closed throughout the duration of the devastating Gaza war. Right-wing Israeli figures, such asOtzma Yehudit'sItamar Ben-Gvir andReligious Zionist Party'sBezalel Smotrich, have repeatedly called for "voluntary migration" of Gazans since the war in the Strip began after the October 7th massacre in Southern Israel. Israeli Defence MinisterIsrael Katz has also announced that Israel will facilitate the relocation of Gazans who wish to leave the Strip voluntarily, including through Israel's Ramon Airport. Hamas, Egypt and others have strongly rejected offering Gazans the chance to leave for other countries and start new lives elsewhere. Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza, has left much of the territory uninhabitable, and it is estimated to cost over $50 billion to rebuild. At the start of the war, it was reported that Israel tried to encourage Egypt to allow Gazans to leave and temporarily inhabit theSinai Peninsula area, adjacent to Gaza. Reports from even before the ongoing war and its significant consequences on Hamas and the residents of Gaza, suggested that a large proportion of people living in the Gaza Strip would consider emigrating to other countries.
Amid the reports of Somaliland being approached by theIsraeli government and theUnited States Government, Somaliland's foreign minister toldKAN, Israel's public broadcaster, in a written statement, "We are open to discussion on any matter, but we do not want to speculate on matters that have not yet been discussed. All countries that are interested in discussing certain issues with us must first establish working relations with us and open diplomatic missions in Somaliland."
It is no secret to Somaliland though, the former president, Mr Ibrahim Haji Egal addressed the very issue in a letter to the former Israeli head of state, Mr Yitshak Rabin in 1995. Fifteen years ago, Mr Egal saw the threat of Islamic fundamentalism and the importance of Bab El-Mandeb.
...the Somaliland head of state has routinely highlighted his good relations with the United Arab Emirates (which is digging a deep-water port in Berbera) as well as with Israel (which has sent several teams to the country to inspect the Soviet-built runways, which are among the longest in Africa).
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