(Jun. 16, 2026 \/ JNS)\n <\/p>\n
Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Monday inaugurated Hargeisa\u2019s diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, making it the eighth embassy in the Israeli capital.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have just opened the Embassy of Somaliland in Jerusalem, our eternal capital,\u201d Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar tweeted on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe friendship between Israel and Somaliland exists not only between our governments, but also between our peoples. It is rooted in the hearts of the citizens of both countries,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will continue to strengthen the status of Jerusalem as our eternal capital,\u201d he said. \u201cStay tuned for more good news soon!\u201d<\/p>\n
Abdirahman on Monday also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Minister\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m here as president of Somaliland for the first state visit ever. For 35 years, we have been asking the world to see us,\u201d he told the Israeli leader, noting that Jerusalem was \u201cthe first to see us and recognize us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu responded, \u201cIt\u2019s a very natural thing for us to do\u2014because we remember as the Jewish people, a small people that asked for the recognition of our rights from the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a natural sympathy to you,\u201d he added. \u201cYou\u2019re a democratic state. You have a solid identity, and you have the right to be recognized and embraced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following a private meeting between the two, Netanyahu told reporters that Jerusalem was seeking to cooperate with Hargeisa in the fields of water, agriculture, technology, security and \u201cmany other areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abdirahman opened his remarks in Arabic, declaring: \u201cIn the name of Allah, the most compassionate, the most merciful. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a great honor and great pleasure for me and my delegation, Mr. Prime Minister, for this moment to be in Jerusalem,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
The Somaliland leader expressed his \u201csincere appreciation\u201d for the \u201cexceptionally warm welcome, generous hospitality and distinguished reception extended to me and my delegation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, we are strengthening a path already built on trust, dialogue and sharing,\u201d he stated. \u201cI also acknowledge your courage and clarity in engaging with Somaliland where others were afraid of. Your recognition of Somaliland as a peaceful, stable and democratic society in a volatile region reflects its statesmanship and strategic foresight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Jewish state became the first country to recognize<\/a> the self-declared nation of Somaliland on Dec. 26, 2025. The same day, Abdirahman said that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords normalization agreements.<\/p>\n