BENJAMIN NETANYAHU TO RECOGNIZE SOMALILAND IN BACK DOOR DEAL

Written by Michael Thervil

SOMALILAND'S PRESIDENT ABDIRAHMAN MOHAMED ABDULLAHI (LEFT) PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU (RIGHT) PHOTO BY AMOS BEN GERSHOM/GPO (LEFT) ISRAEL GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE PHOTO (RIGHT)

[Benjamin Netanyahu Somaliland] Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a formal declaration recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign state, a move that has inflamed both the government of Somalia and members of the western Sahel countries. All of this comes after Somaliland’s three-decade long struggle to be recognized as an independent state by any UN member state which started in 1991. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted in reference to recognizing Somaliland as it being “in the spirit” of the Abraham accords. The Abraham Accords were created and brokered by the Americans in 2020 to establish both diplomatic, security, and trade ties between Israel and west Asian countries that share the patriarch of Abraham such as Morocco, Sudan, the UAE, and Bahrain.

Surprisingly American President Trump has shown opposition to the recognition of Somaliland due to a conflict of interest with Somalia where the Americans have military assets in. The Trump Administration has voiced concerns of the possible straining of diplomatic ties with Somalia over Israel's actions. Somalia's Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali perceived Israel's recognition of Somaliland as a “deliberate attack” that undermines his nations sovereignty. Backing the Somali Foreign Minister the African Union who stated: “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia ... risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent.”

SOMALILAND OUTLINED IN RED. MAP BY GOOGLE MAPS.

But the AU and the Somali government were not the only ones to denounce Israel's actions, both Turkey and Egypt followed suit. The Turkish government expressed discontent by stating: “This initiative by Israel, which aligns with its expansionist policy and its efforts to do everything to prevent the recognition of a Palestinian state, constitutes overt interference in Somalia’s domestic affairs”. Neighboring country Djibouti also expressed dismay at the recognition of Somaliland. Before the formal recognition of Somaliland by Israel, it was revealed by sources that the leader of Somaliland Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi secretly visited Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu two months prior to the formal declaration signed by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.

SOMALILAND OUTLINED IN RED. MAP BY GOOGLE MAPS.

OUR POSITION AT VEDA WORLD NEWS

Israel's premeditated recognition of Somaliland will come at a cost for not only the leader of Somaliland, but for the 6 million people that reside there. Is should be no secret that many countries have expressed negative views of Israel due to their war of genocide against the people of Palestine, so through the eyes of the international community, the “strategic diplomatic relationship” between Somaliland and Israel is seen as an act of desperation and should come as no surprise.

Even more than that, it should be questioned what Somaliland’s leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi got out of the deal as it is easily seen that Israel gained a way to target Ansarullah (Houthis), a way to ensure their ship get pulled into the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, the Red Sea, and the strait of  Hormuz with the ability to defend their ships against the Houthis’ protested attacks; thus increasing the level of their security and boosting their economy through trade. Another question is what happens if Ansarullah decides to execute protested attacks towards Somaliland due to their diplomatic relationship with Israel?

Also, how will this partnership affect major players in the region such as Saudi Arabia?  Then there are the issue of designated terrorist organizations such as al-Shabaab, ISIS-Somalia, and other terrorist and extremist groups such as Jadha East Africa that are seeking a way to make a name for themselves. Is Israel prepared to deal with them without the help of the Americans? It seems that Israel is taking a play from the American playbook in which how America treats Taiwan in the face of China.