Sa'ar Reveals Secret October Meeting as Somaliland Opens Embassy in Jerusalem

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met on Monday in Jerusalem with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and said the two had first met secretly in the same room in October last year, months before the relationship was made public. Sa'ar said this was their second meeting there and noted that the current visit comes about six months after the formal establishment of ties.

Speaking alongside Abdullahi, Sa'ar said he was proud of helping build the relationship through talks during 2025 with the president and his close team. He said those discussions showed a shared desire for ties based on mutual respect, friendship and cooperation for both peoples. He also recalled his January visit to Hargeisa, saying he felt the warmth and hospitality of the president, his staff and Somaliland residents, and saw in the streets what he described as the local public’s feelings toward Israel.

Sa'ar welcomed Somaliland’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling it the eighth country to take that step. He said that despite efforts by critics to derail the process, both sides remained determined to keep advancing the relationship. “There are many who are trying to sabotage it, they will not succeed,” he said. “We are both determined to continue promoting the partnership.”

At the end of his remarks, Sa'ar said, “I will always be proud of the privilege I had in writing the first pages of the story of our relationship,” adding that he believes the partnership will continue to grow for the benefit of both countries. Abdullahi praised Sa'ar, saying his “vision, commitment and leadership” were a major factor in building and strengthening the emerging strategic relationship between Somaliland and Israel.