Somaliland to Open Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel to Establish Representative Office in Hargeisa
Al Jazeera Staff
Somaliland announced it will open an embassy in Jerusalem, while Israel will establish a representative office in Hargeisa, following Israel's recognition of Somaliland's independence. The move has drawn both praise and international criticism.
Somaliland will soon open an embassy in Jerusalem, and Israel will establish a representative office in Hargeisa, according to Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland's ambassador to Israel. The announcement comes months after Israel formally recognized Somaliland's independence.
In a post on social media platform X on March 11, Hagi described the move as reflecting “the deepening friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoples.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the announcement, calling it an “important step” in strengthening bilateral relations. “We will together implement this decision soon,” he wrote on X.
In December 2025, Israel became the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland, ending more than three decades of diplomatic isolation for the territory. The decision drew widespread criticism from the United Nations Security Council, the African Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the European Union.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, controlling the northwestern region that was once a British protectorate in northern Somalia. However, it has never been recognized by any United Nations member state. Somalia has never accepted Somaliland's independence.
In January, Israeli Foreign Minister Saar visited Hargeisa. Subsequently, Somaliland sent a delegation from its Ministry of Water Resources to Israel for training on water management. Hagi, who also serves as a presidential advisor, played a central role in advancing the recognition.
Under the plan, the Somaliland embassy will be the eighth diplomatic mission located in Jerusalem, following those of the United States, Guatemala, Kosovo, Honduras, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji.
The location of the embassy is contentious because Jerusalem's status lies at the heart of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel claims the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinian Authority insists that occupied East Jerusalem must be the capital of a Palestinian state. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 and unilaterally annexed it in 1980, a move rejected by the UN Security Council.
Most diplomatic missions in Israel keep their embassies in the Tel Aviv area to avoid affecting peace negotiations. In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, triggering deadly protests in the occupied Palestinian territories and beyond.
The United States moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018. The decision was not reversed under President Joe Biden. Countries that followed the U.S. include Guatemala (2018), Kosovo and Honduras (2021), Paraguay (2018, then moved back to Tel Aviv a few months later before returning to Jerusalem in 2024), Papua New Guinea (2023), and Fiji (2025). Last year, Argentine President Javier Milei also announced he would move his country's embassy to Jerusalem by 2026.
