Earlier Wednesday, Herzog held meetings with Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie, as well as local Jewish leaders.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is my third visit to Africa, and the fourth African nation I have visited as president of the State of Israel,\u201d he told Selassie, according to his office. \u201cThe relationship between our peoples is woven deep into the pages of history and human tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n \t \u201cAt the heart of the story of both our nations lies a clear common thread \u2014 the ability to join hands, unite resources of spirit and substance, to innovate, develop and grow for the benefit of all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Herzog added that \u201cthe social fabric of Israel has been deeply enriched by Ethiopian heritage, brought by the Ethiopian Jewish communities in Israel, and as president of the State of Israel, I wish to express my deep appreciation for these cherished communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Israel is home to some 170,000 Ethiopian Jews, the majority of whom arrived, or are descendants of those who arrived, in two waves of mass immigration known as Operation Moses in 1984 and Operation Solomon in 1991.<\/p>\n Herzog is slated to fly back Wednesday night and return to Israel Thursday, where he is set to meet with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<\/p>\n Israel accepts appointment of first envoy from Somaliland<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Israel on Wednesday formally accepted the appointment of Somaliland\u2019s first ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, according to a letter sent by the Foreign Ministry to the office of Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi.<\/p>\n Hagi currently serves as an adviser to Abdullahi, and was an advocate for Israel-Somaliland relations, according to the Foreign Ministry.<\/p>\n \t Israel will appoint an ambassador to the African country soon, the ministry said.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s international development agency MASHAV is holding a course for officials from Somaliland\u2019s Water Authority in Israel this week.<\/p>\n Israel in December became the only country in the world to recognize Somaliland\u2019s independence \u2014 something the territory has been seeking since declaring its autonomy from Somalia in 1991. The government in Mogadishu still considers Somaliland an integral part of Somalia even though the territory has run its own affairs since 1991, with its own passport, currency, army and police forces.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tPresident Isaac Herzog (R) meets Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, February 25, 2026 (Haim Zach\/GPO)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AFP__20260106__89TB76D__v1__HighRes__SomaliaSomalilandIsraelDiplomacy-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tSomaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (right) posing for a photograph with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar at the Presidential Palace in Hargeisa, Somaliland, January 6, 2026. (Somaliland Presidential Office \/ AFP)<\/p>\n
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