A large number of analysts, particularly Palestinians, have been preoccupied with formulating political analyses following Israel’s recognition of the Republic of Somaliland on 26 December 2025. They argued that this recognition stems from Israel’s desire to relocate Palestinians to the Republic of Somaliland as a solution to what it describes as the Gaza problem.
This rapid conclusion is the result of many media outlets, particularly digital media, focusing heavily on the issue of Palestinian displacement. However, the failure to conduct a rigorous research based study of the reality of Israeli African relations and to draw lessons from the historical trajectory of these relations is a key reason behind this focus. It is also due to the limited expertise of many journalists regarding the history of Arab African relations.
Many are also unfamiliar with basic facts about Somaliland. It is not a small entity, as its area is approximately 176,000 square kilometres. Its population reached around six and a half million in 2024, and its capital is Hargeisa.
It should not be overlooked that many Africans still view Arabs as slave traders of Africa, that is, as traffickers in ancient and medieval eras. These analysts are likewise unaware of Israel’s policies and objectives on this wealthy continent with its significant civilisational and commercial heritage. Israel’s policy requires it to wield the strongest possible influence in order to besiege Arab states and exhaust them politically and economically.
The African continent covers approximately 30 million square kilometres, and its population represents more than 15 percent of the world’s population. One of its most important strategic geographic locations is the Horn of Africa, today represented by the Republic of Somaliland, as it constitutes the closest gateway to Arab states, particularly Yemen. It is of primary geographic, military, and security importance because it controls the passage of commercial shipping. These analysts should revisit the history of the Zionist movement, when the proposal for a Jewish state at the Sixth Zionist Congress in 1903 was to establish such a state in Uganda in Africa.
It is also necessary to reread history to understand how Arab states, following the June 1967 war, succeeded in attracting many African states to support the Arab Palestinian cause through their diplomatic efforts in the 1970s until 1982. The outcome of these efforts was that seven African states severed relations with Israel. In 1973, the number of African states that cut ties with Israel reached forty two. Arab diplomatic efforts continued until they peaked in 1975, when Arab politicians succeeded in securing a United Nations resolution, number 3379, which considered Zionism a form of racism.
However, Israeli diplomacy managed to overturn the resolution after the peace negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis in Oslo, on the pretext that the Palestinian issue had ended.
After the Taba Agreement with Egypt in 1979 and the Wadi Araba Agreement with Jordan in 1994, Israel regained its presence and penetration in Africa and became a state with economic and military standing on the continent. As a result, Israel restored its relations with approximately forty African states, contributed to the establishment of South Sudan, and succeeded in relocating Ethiopian Jews in three waves through Operation Moses in 1984, Operation Sheba in 1985, and Operation Solomon in 1991. Thousands of Falasha were relocated on the claim that they belonged to the lost Jewish tribe of Dan.
Political analyses should also not overlook the file of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is the source of life for eleven African states, most notably Egypt and Sudan. There are widespread claims that the plan to build the dam was initiated and supported with Israeli cooperation, with the primary objective being to choke Arab states dependent on the waters of the Nile River.
Likewise, the division of Sudan represents the most dangerous scheme, as the state of South Sudan constitutes the initial spark of this broader plan, Israel’s plan for the African continent.
Israel is also adept at wrapping its policies in economic, political, and military slogans. It remains the primary exporter of African security companies and serves as a central trainer not only for armies but also for firms tasked with protecting airports and the political headquarters of African parties. Israel reaps enormous profits from exporting its weapons products to a large number of African states.
When members of the Popular Front hijacked an aircraft travelling from Tel Aviv to Paris on 4 July 1976 and diverted it to Uganda, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners, Israel managed to attack the aircraft at Entebbe Airport. Netanyahu’s older brother, Jonathan, was killed in the incident.
This operation affected the level of relations between Israel and many African states, as several African countries realised they needed Israeli expertise in dealing with aircraft hijackings. As a result, some African states brought in Israeli trainers to protect aircraft through Israeli companies.
Analysts should also not forget that the Somali army was the third strongest army after the Egyptian and Nigerian armies. It clashed with Ethiopia and achieved a major victory, but the Somalis did not benefit from this victory. Instead, they were compelled by Russia and the United States to return to internationally recognised borders, and the greater Somali state ceased to exist.
The Republic of Somaliland succeeded in seceding from Somalia on 18 May 1991. Abdirahman Ahmed was elected president of the state in the same year, and two parliaments were formed, the House of Representatives and the House of Elders, each consisting of eighty two members.
The state of Somaliland is considered extremely important to Ethiopia because it is its only maritime outlet on the Gulf of Aden coast. It controls Bab al Mandab and is the closest to Yemen. This is the core issue from Israel’s perspective.
Israeli newspapers and politicians have regarded this plan as highly significant for Israel, as it grants them numerous advantages. This was evident in Netanyahu’s speech on the occasion of recognising the state of Somaliland, where he specifically thanked Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and then praised David Barnea, head of the Mossad, indicating the role both played in paving the way for recognising this strategically important state directly opposite Yemen. It was as if the Israeli embassy would serve as a military base to confront the Iranian threat, as Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu also clarified that this recognition comes within the context of the Abraham Accords. Israeli analysts justified the recognition by pointing to the presence of a United States base in Djibouti, which borders the Republic of Somaliland to the north. This justification, in their view, grants Israel the right to recognise it.
David Makovsky did not conceal the security importance of establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Somaliland, as reported in the Zionist outlet JNS on 27 December 2025. He said, as a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy: “Somaliland faces Yemen directly, therefore Houthi drones must be prevented from reaching Israel, as well as missiles directed against it.”
Most Israeli newspapers continue to avoid revealing details surrounding this recognition. Is there an American role behind it? Especially since Donald Trump clearly indicated this ten months before Israel’s recognition. In February 2025, Trump stated: “There is room for Palestinians in Somaliland.” This undoubtedly represents a disclosure of one of the most significant secrets prepared behind the scenes, meaning that there is collusion between the two states. It may also indicate that this Israeli recognition will serve as a prelude to an American recognition of the state of Somaliland after a short period.
This new file has sparked condemnation from many African states, as well as from Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and most notably from the state of Somalia.
The newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, in an article by journalist Lior Ben Ari on 27 December 2025, outlined the risks facing global trade and the political and military consequences resulting from neglecting the Somaliland file. It pointed out that Iran and the Houthis control 12 percent of global trade, given that the Somali port of Berbera is only 250 kilometres from Yemen.
It should not be forgotten that Israel’s presence at Bab al Mandab is important to the United States itself, as it grants it leverage in the face of China and Russia. This means that Israel stands on the front line of global confrontation in defence of American interests.
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