Jerusalem — Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi arrived in Israel on Sunday for an official visit, likely to include participation in the opening of a Somaliland embassy in Jerusalem. The visit comes months after Israel’s recognition of the separatist region, a move widely criticized by Arab and international actors. Abdullahi posted photos on X showing his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, stating he was the first Somaliland president to visit Israel on a state visit and expressing gratitude for the warm reception. According to the Jerusalem Post, this is not Abdullahi’s first trip to Israel; he previously made a secret visit during diplomatic contacts that led to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. The newspaper added that Abdullahi is expected to attend the embassy’s official opening and hold meetings with government officials to enhance cooperation in security, trade, and renewable energy.
 In April, Israel appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland.
The Foreign Ministry announced that the appointments committee, chaired by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, approved Michael Lotem as ambassador.
 Lotem had previously served as Israel’s roving economic envoy in Africa. In May, Mohamed Haji, Somaliland’s first ambassador to Israel, announced plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem, sparking international condemnation.
 Nineteen Arab and Islamic countries issued a joint statement calling the move a “blatant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions” and a direct assault on the legal and historical status of occupied Jerusalem.
The ministers reaffirmed that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory since 1967, and any steps to alter its legal and historical status are null and void. In December 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally recognized Somaliland as an independent state.
 His office released a video showing a virtual meeting with Abdullahi during the signing of the recognition document. Somalia denounced the move as “illegal aggression,” saying it violated international law and interfered in its internal affairs. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stressed that Somalia and its people are indivisible and cannot be partitioned.
The recognition was rejected by Arab, Islamic, and African states, all affirming Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Somaliland lies in a strategic location in the Horn of Africa, bordered by the Gulf of Aden to the north, Djibouti to the west, and Ethiopia to the south. It covers more than 176,000 square kilometers with a coastline stretching 800 kilometers along the Red Sea.