Somaliland will open an embassy in Jerusalem and Israel will establish its representation in Hargeisa โsoonโ, according to Mohamed Hagi, the ambassador of Somaliaโs breakaway region to Israel.
The development, which comes months after Israel officially recognised the independence of Somaliland, reflects โgrowing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoplesโ, Hagi said in a statement on X on Tuesday
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the announcement, calling it a โsignificant stepโ in strengthening relations between the two. โWe will work together to implement this decision soon,โ he said on X.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but it has failed to gain recognition from any United Nations member state. The region controls the northwestern portion of what was once the British Protectorate in northern Somalia.
Due to its disputed status, the vast majority of the 96 diplomatic missions present in Israel host their embassies in the Tel Aviv area to avoid interfering with peace negotiations.
In a significant blow to Palestiniansโ ambitions and peace prospects, US President Donald Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israelโs capital during his first term in 2017.
The announcement triggered a wave of deadly protests across the occupied Palestinian territory, but also across other countries, including Malaysia and India
The US moved its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018. The decision was not reversed under the following administration of President Joe Biden, and Washington continues to recognise Jerusalem as Israelโs capital today
Other countries that followed the USโs move were Guatemala in 2018, Kosovo and Honduras in 2021, Paraguay in 2018 (it returned the embassy to Tel Aviv a few months later, and then relocated back to Jerusalem in 2024), Papua New Guinea in 2023, and Fiji in 2025
Last year, Argentinaโs President Javier Milei announced his intention to also move the Argentinian embassy to Jerusalem
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