Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Arrives in Jerusalem for First State Visit to Israel

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday for what multiple outlets described as the first-ever state visit by a Somaliland head of state to Israel, after Israel’s Dec. 26, 2025 decision to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.

The visit was confirmed during an official welcoming ceremony with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and Abdullahi wrote, “Israel answered first,” referring to Somaliland’s 35-year effort to secure recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991.

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Herzog welcomed the Somaliland leader in both English and Somali, writing, “Ku soo dhawow Israel” — welcome to Israel, and the two leaders highlighted shared security interests and the importance of safeguarding maritime freedom.

The trip also included the signing of cooperation agreements in agriculture, finance and technology, as Herzog said Israel and Somaliland had “acted with courage and realism,” noting that Israel recognized Somaliland after it had existed as a reality on the ground for decades.

In Jerusalem, Abdullahi told Israeli officials and the public that “Somaliland has been talking, has been reaching out to the world leaders for the last 35 years,” and he said “Only one country desired to see us and recognize Somaliland, and that’s the government of Israel and its people.”

Herzog framed the meeting as a shift toward practical cooperation, saying, “We need to move from declarations to people-to-people cooperation in a range of fields,” while also warning that “We both face the threat of radical extremism.”

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Somalia’s federal government rejected the relationship, with one report saying Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud described Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a “trap,” adding that Somaliland would not achieve broader international recognition through ties with Israel.

The same reporting said Somaliland’s recognition also drew condemnation from Somalia and “a number of Muslim-majority countries,” which maintain that Somaliland remains part of Somalia and reject its claim to independence.

The visit comes as Israel and Somaliland move to build diplomatic infrastructure, with reporting saying Somaliland chose to open an embassy in Jerusalem and that Abdullahi is planned to open the embassy on Monday.

“Toggle Play Israel welcomes Somaliland president in ‘historic’ visit Israel hosted Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on a landmark visit to Jerusalem after recognising Somaliland as an independent state in December”

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In Jerusalem, Herzog said the relationship now must move beyond declarations, and he reiterated that “We both see the importance of protecting maritime freedom,” while also describing the visit as “the great potential of this wonderful new partnership.”

Israel’s diplomatic outreach is also part of the timeline, with one report saying Herzog received the diplomatic credentials of Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, on May 18, 2026, and Herzog said it was “a great honor to receive the first ambassador of the Republic of Somaliland in Israel.”

Looking ahead, the Jerusalem Post said Abdullahi is scheduled to address the Knesset on Tuesday evening and that the embassy opening in Jerusalem’s Malha Technology Park is expected to be the highlight of the visit.