Somaliland

Grapevine, May 21, 2026: New face on the diplomatic circuit

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

|ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
This aerial view shows residents waving Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.
President Isaac Herzog shakes hands with Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, after receiving his credentials at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, May 18, 2026.

Somaliland embassy to be based in Jerusalem, newly inaugurated ambassador says

Somaliland announced it will open its embassy in Jerusalem, while Israel will establish its embassy in Hargeisa, marking growing ties and strategic cooperation between the two nations.

|ByJAMES GENN
President Isaac Herzog shakes hands with Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, after receiving his credentials at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, May 18, 2026.

Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel welcomed by Herzog in historic ceremony

President says new partnership will promote cooperation “for the benefit of both our peoples and the entire region.”

|ByTOBIAS SIEGAL, GREER FAY CASHMAN
AVI STUDENTS and stakeholders join for a flag-planting ceremony outside AVI headquarters in October 2024.

If these flags could talk - opinion

There is a prevailing narrative that Israel is alone, but that is not true.

|ByDANIEL KOREN

Israel's Somaliland recognition isn't a gamble, it's a necessity and others must join - opinion

This recognition is not an act of aggression but a pragmatic masterstroke that exposes a broken status quo, and it is a move that the United States and responsible African powers should support.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByBISHOP DENNIS NTHUMBI/THE MEDIA LINE
An illustrative image of a Somaliland flag being held.

Middle Israel: Sleeping with Somaliland is good, waltzing with it is bad - opinion

Israel’s recognition this week of Somaliland – a self-declared country in northeast Africa – is part of a time-honored legacy with its fair share of foresight and risk.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByAMOTZ ASA-EL
THE KIND OF of strategic alliance that Israel is nurturing in Somaliland already emerged last year, when Somaliland signed a deal with Ethiopia, leasing to its landlocked neighbor a 20-km. coastal strip for a naval base.

My Word: Recognition vs rejection of Somaliland - opinion

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland exposes global hypocrisy, rejecting a stable ally at a strategic chokepoint while rewarding terror and dysfunction elsewhere.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByLIAT COLLINS
An illustrative image of a Somaliland flag being held.

Grapevine, January 2, 2025: Is the Buzaglo Law still valid?

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByGREER FAY CASHMAN
REUVEN RIVLIN with leaders of the Supreme Court during his round of farewells at the end of his presidency in 2021.

Somaliland denies trading recognition with Israel for accepting Gazans

Last week, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland, angering international powers who bemoaned the move at the United Nations Security Council.

JANUARY 1, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.

How the UAE built its sphere of influence across the region, including role in Yemen - explainer

From Yemen and Sudan to Israel and Somaliland, the UAE has built a wide network of allies, investments, and security ties aimed at countering political Islam and shaping regional power dynamics.

DECEMBER 31, 2025ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the United Arab Emirates and of the STC, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, December 30, 2025.

Medical ties linked Israel and Somaliland years before formal recognition

For more than two decades, the Israeli NGO Save a Child’s Heart has provided cardiac care to children from Somaliland, bringing patients to Israel for surgery at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon.

DECEMBER 31, 2025ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
AWO AND Sumaya from Somaliland with Israeli volunteer Ella in the middle.

Erdogan calls Israel's recognition of Somaliland 'illegal,' unveils plans for Somalia

Erdogan said Turkey plans offshore energy drilling off Somalia's coast in 2026 and will add two new drilling vessels.

DECEMBER 30, 2025ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
TURKISH PRESIDENT Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Turkey’s irredentist policies, from its actions in Cyprus to its growing involvement in Syria, highlight a policy of territorial expansion and ethnic dominance, the writer maintains.

Israel’s Somaliland recognition shows the real purpose of the Abraham Accords - opinion

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland reflects the Abraham Accords’ focus on survival, stability, and strategic cooperation, not sentiment.

DECEMBER 30, 2025BySHMUEL LEGESSE
Shmuel Legesse at his wedding at The Sephardic Temple of Cedarhurst in Cedarhurst, NY, June 8, 2014.

Israel steps in to defend Somaliland recognition move at UN amid concerns over Gaza motives

"It is not a hostile step toward Somalia, nor does it preclude future dialogue between the parties. Recognition is not an act of defiance. It is an opportunity,” said Israel’s Deputy UN Ambassador.

DECEMBER 30, 2025ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERS
Residents wave Somaliland flags as they gather to celebrate Israel's announcement recognising Somaliland's statehood in downtown Hargeisa, on December 26, 2025.