Israel recognizes Somaliland, UN throws a fit - You could cut the hypocrisy with a jihadi’s knife.

Joseph Puder | January 2, 2026

Once again, Israel is being attacked at the United Nations.  Western states and the African Union have called into question Israel’s recognition of the right of self-determination and independence of Somaliland, a former British colony and a pivotal nation on the Horn of Africa.  Although the international community often champions self-determination as a universal right, this has been selectively denied to Somaliland, despite meeting obvious criteria for statehood.

The operative questions:

1. What criteria are required for recognition?

2. Does the entity known as Palestine meet those criteria?

3. Why has Palestine been recognized by over 150 countries when the necessary criteria of unified governance are absent?

Specifically, there is one entity (Hamas) governing Gaza and another in the West Bank ruling from Ramallah.  Additional criteria include agreed upon boundaries and effective sovereign authority over territory.  Palestinian institutions are split up, and the territory’s leadership are not in control over the spaces they claim.  Conversely, Somaliland has been effectively managing its affairs since 1991.  Somaliland has full control of its territory and has a functioning government, elections, basic services, the ability to maintain international relations, and a law enforcement apparatus.  Israel has not created a new reality; it has simply recognized an existing one.

Historically, various colonial powers meddled in Somaliland.  In 1870, Egypt established authority there.  Britain, having occupied the former Egyptian Somaliland in 1884, established a protectorate there in 1887.  Mussolini’s Italy occupied British Somaliland in the early part of WWII, between August 1940 and March 1941.  Britain reoccupied the territory, and on June 26, 1960, the British Somaliland protectorate obtained independence as the State of Somaliland.  British Somaliland was briefly independent but then became an autonomous region within Somalia.  In 1969, there was a coup, and Siad Barre rose to power in Somalia.  An authoritarian, he engaged in a war with Ethiopia and, in 1988, bombed the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa.  As such, Somaliland was part of Somalia only from 1960 to 1991.  It declared its independence once again in 1991.  In May 2001, Somaliland’s constitution was overwhelmingly (97%) approved in a referendum.

The Presidential and Political Parties Elections held in Somaliland on November 13, 2024 marked a significant democratic milestone.  Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Irro” (WADDANI) was elected president, reflecting a shift in political leadership.  Additionally, WADDANI, KULMIYE, and KAAH were officially recognized as national political parties, reinforcing Somaliland's competitive multi-party democracy.

Clearly, the international community has been prejudiced against Somaliland while pandering to the Palestinians, whose contributions to humanity have been jihad, suicide bombings, plane hijackings, and terror.  At the U.N., it is the numbers that count.  The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has 57 states and is the largest bloc in the General Assembly of the U.N.  Palestine is a member of the OIC, whereas Somaliland is not.  The large Muslim population within the European Union (E.U.) is another prejudicial factor.  The Brussels-based E.U. panders to the Palestinians out of fear of terror, concerned that the Muslim population will foment instability among its nation-states.  Fear of Muslim reaction is intimidating and drives their bias against Israel as well as against Somaliland.

Although the U.N. hypocritically moralizes and criticizes Israel for violating the territorial integrity of Somalia by recognizing Somaliland, Somalia has in fact not assumed sovereignty over Somaliland in over thirty years.  Moreover, the chaotic state of Somalia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has consistently voted against Israel in international forums.  Israel, therefore, is not losing a friendly state, but gaining a potential new member of the Abraham Accords.

Ironically, it is the terror-sponsoring Muslim Brotherhood–affiliated states like Qatar and Turkey that have condemned Israel’s recognition and number themselves among those moralizing states that demand that Israel “play by the rules.”  And they are joined by the E.U., which hypocritically encourages recognition of Palestine because of fear.  Hence, the issue is not fairness or justice, but pure diplomatic hypocrisy.

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss and potentially condemn Israel's recognition of Somaliland.  It has been noted that the U.N. has not held similar emergency sessions for other global conflicts or issues pertaining to self-determination.  The difference is that this involves Israel.

The cowards of the E.U. stand in sharp contrast with Israel, which is taking a fair and moral stand on Somaliland, albeit an unpopular one at the moment.  Naturally, there is strategic self-interest involved as well.  Ships going to the port of Eilat, along the Red Sea, have been targeted by the Houthis.  It has been costly for Western nations and for Israel, both of whom have been victims of the Houthis shutting off international trade in the narrow area between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  Somaliland is situated between the Sea and the Gulf.  In coordination with the Somaliland authorities, this recognition affords both Israel and the U.S. more direct access to this vital sea lane and may provide Israel with the opportunity to deter the Houthis from closer range.  

The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, is Israel’s central partner in supporting Somaliland.  The UAE has invested in the control of key assets such as ports, islands, and trade routes.  The UAE is also supporting the Southern Transitional Council (STC), established in 2017, to represent the aspirations of the people of South Yemen for self-determination, and stability.  Both Israel and the UAE are in conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.

The hypocrisy of the U.N. and the E.U. has manifested itself with their support of non-democratic, terror sponsoring entities such as Palestine and Somalia, while opposing more peaceful entities such as Somaliland.