Somaliland President Visits Cardiac Patients in Israel as New Ties Draw Condemnation

Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi visited the “Save a Child’s Heart” center in Holon on Wednesday and met nine children from Somaliland who are receiving life-saving heart treatment at Wolfson Medical Center. The visit came amid growing cooperation between Israel and Somaliland, including the opening this week of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem.

According to Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the humanitarian partnership began in 2004, when a Somaliland representative in Ethiopia asked the Israeli embassy for help for his son, who had a heart condition. The ministry linked the family to Save a Child’s Heart, which treated the child in Israel, and has since supported the project, helping bring 58 children from Somaliland for life-saving medical care. The children now in Israel are ages three months to 18 years and arrived after a medical delegation to Somaliland earlier this month, organized and funded by MASHAV, Israel’s national aid agency in the Foreign Ministry, together with Save a Child’s Heart.

During the visit, Abdillahi met the children, their families and medical staff, and heard about the organization’s work and the ongoing cooperation in pediatric cardiology. MASHAV deputy director Einat Shlein said the agency has supported Save a Child’s Heart for years and that health is a central pillar of relations with Somaliland, especially capacity building and assistance.

The embassy opening prompted criticism from the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and al-Shabab. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel will continue the partnership, adding, “No one will decide for Israel, and no one will decide for Somaliland, with whom to have diplomatic relations.” He said he and Abdillahi opened the embassy together on Monday and stressed that the relationship is driven not only by governments but also by peoples.