Somaliland President Makes First Visit to Israel, Meets Herzog in Jerusalem

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal Herzog, hosted Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and his wife, Fardosa Mohamed Roble, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on Sunday. Abdullahi’s arrival marked his first visit to Israel and was described as a historic diplomatic trip following the establishment of relations between the two sides last December.

The visit began with an official welcome ceremony, attended by the senior delegation accompanying the Somaliland leader, followed by a bilateral meeting and statements to the press. Herzog said he and his wife were pleased to host the guests for the historic visit, calling it the first presidential visit and a sign of the “great potential” in the new partnership. He said Israel had recognized Somaliland as an independent state, while Somaliland had opened an embassy in Jerusalem, and noted the sight of Somaliland flags at the residence.

Herzog said the two countries now needed to expand cooperation in agriculture, technology, trade, health, academia and, above all, security. He said Israel and Somaliland share “a wide range of threats and interests,” including the fight against radical extremism, efforts to promote stability in the Horn of Africa, and the protection of freedom of navigation. He also placed the relationship within broader growth in Israel-Africa ties, saying he had made three official visits to Africa during his presidency and rejecting efforts to separate Israel from African states.

Abdullahi thanked Herzog for the reception and said the hospitality was more than protocol, calling it a genuine gesture of respect between two peoples seeking a meaningful future. He said Somaliland had spent 35 years asking world leaders “to see us,” and that it was Israel that recognized the country. Representing six million people, he said the visit was not ceremonial but a clear statement that Somaliland and Israel were entering “a new and strategic era.”