Mogadishu: In a move that has drawn widespread international condemnation, Israel has become the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent sovereign state. This decision has reignited discussions surrounding Zionist ambitions beyond Palestine.
According to TRTworld.com, although Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, it has not been recognized by the United Nations or the African Union, and the Somali government still considers it part of its territory. The recognition by Israel has led to concerns about a potential strategy to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Somaliland, sparking debates about Zionist intentions in Africa.
The Israeli decision has prompted protests in Mogadishu and other Somalian cities, with demonstrators calling for national unity and expressing solidarity with Palestinians by waving Palestinian flags. For many, this recognition is seen not as an isolated diplomatic action but as part of a broader historical pattern of Zionist land acquisition and demographic manipulation. Documents circulating online have highlighted a proposal from the 1940s, associated with the so-called Harrar Council, raising questions about whether Israel's recognition of Somaliland is part of a long-standing Zionist scheme to control strategic African territories.
A 1942 document by Jewish activist Hermann Fuernberg proposed settling European Jews in Ethiopia's Harrar region and utilizing ports in neighboring British Somaliland for maritime access. Fuernberg suggested creating a state for European Jews by uniting parts of Ethiopia and British Somaliland, noting minimal expected resistance from the local population.
Similarly, a 1939 dispatch in The Canadian Jewish Chronicle advocated for a Jewish homeland in Ethiopia, citing its historical connections with Jewish history since the time of the Pharaohs. The publication argued that the narrow strip of land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean could not accommodate the Jews facing exile and suggested opening African territories to Jewish colonization.
A 1943 bulletin by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency announced the formation of the Council for an Autonomous Jewish Province in Harrar, aiming to help European Jews settle in Ethiopia and British Somaliland with political autonomy.
Fast-forward to 2025, and echoes of these historical ambitions persist. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement during a phone call with Somaliland's self-styled president, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, was framed as expanding cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. However, Somalia and other nations suspect ulterior motives, viewing the diplomatic move as advancing Israel's military ambitions in the Red Sea.
Analysts suggest that Israel's engagement with Somaliland provides strategic access to the Bab el Mandeb Strait, a crucial maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Alarmingly, reports from earlier in 2025 indicated that Israel and the US have approached Somaliland and other countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Libya, and Indonesia for the resettlement of approximately two million Palestinians displaced by the Gaza conflict.
Palestine's foreign ministry has supported Somalia in condemning Israel for considering Somaliland as a relocation destination for displaced Palestinians. Somali officials have accused Israel of using recognition to facilitate ethnic cleansing in Gaza, displacing Palestinians to alter African demographics.
The Arab League, African Union, Egypt, Trkiye, Saudi Arabia, and numerous other states have rejected Israel's recognition of Somaliland, warning that it could lead to the forced relocation of Palestinians, a policy critics describe as ethnic cleansing.