Expert Analysis
By Alan Schneider, Director, B’nai B’rith World Center-Jerusalem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bold diplomatic move to recognize the independence and right to self-determination of the strategically important state of Somaliland on Dec. 26— the first UN member state to do so and only the second country in the world to take this step, following Taiwan—triggered a geo-political earthquake in the Middle East and beyond.
Speaking to Somaliland President Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Netanyahu signed the de jure recognition papers on the eve of his trip to the U.S. for a critical meeting with President Donald Trump. The prime minister termed the friendship between the two countries “seminal and historic” and a great opportunity for expanding their partnership in economic, cultural and other fields. Abdullahi, meanwhile, accepted an invitation to make an official visit to Israel.
Netanyahu promised to convey to Trump Somaliland’s wish to join the Abraham Accords, a step that would indicate U.S. de facto recognition of it as an independent state. Although Trump initially demurred, he later indicated that the Administration would “study it.” Showing its hand a little more, the US also defended Israel’s right to recognize Somaliland at a special UN Security Council meeting convened on Dec. 29. Deputy U.S. Ambassador Tammy Bruce stated that Israel “has the same right to conduct diplomatic relations as any other sovereign State” while criticizing the UNSC of double standards holding an emergency meeting over Somaliland’s recognition while failing to do so when several countries recognized a “non-existent Palestinian state” earlier in 2025.
Unlike other nations in the Middle East, Somaliland—which is 99% Muslim—has enjoyed a stable democratically elected government since it seceded from Somalia in 1991, the culmination of decades of political marginalization, economic neglect and a state-sponsored genocidal campaign against the northern population. The strategic importance of Somaliland is evident in a cursory glance of the map of the Middle East—just across the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled Yemen and at the entrance to the Bab-el-Mandab Straits—one of the world’s most vital maritime “chokepoints,” serving as the essential link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Somaliland also enjoys a degree of geographical protection, separated from Somalia by the autonomous region of Puntland and by Ethiopia.
Israel’s move was bitterly criticized by many regional states including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Djibouti and the African Union. However, it is supported by two of Israel’s closest allies in the region, UAE and Ethiopia – the latter a landlocked country that signed an MOU with Somaliland in 2024 for a port and access to the Gulf of Aden but it has remained unimplemented due to disputes with Somalia and the AU.
An expected Israeli presence in Somaliland has the potential of being a boon to Israel’s defense posture against the Houthis, who targeted Israel with over 400 ballistic missiles and other projectiles sense its counterattack against Hamas in October 2023. Israel’s move is also being regarded by foreign policy experts as a checkmate of its rival Turkey which has built a major military base in Somalia as part of its neo-Ottoman expansion under President Erdogan. It remains to be seen whether Israel’s Somaliland gambit will reduce the strategic threats it faces and lead to further projection of the country’s influence in the region.
B’nai B’rith should consider playing its traditional role in supporting this newfound friendship by extending a friendly hand through a humanitarian project in Somaliland on behalf of the Jewish people.
Alan Schneider is the director of B’nai B’rith World Center in Jerusalem, which serves as the hub of B’nai B’rith International activities in Israel. The World Center is the key link between Israel and B’nai B’rith members and supporters around the world. To view some of his additional content, click here.