What will happen to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland if Eisenkot becomes prime minister?
Israeli messages from various political parties assure Somaliland’s leadership that recognition of its independence is firm and will not be affected by a change of government or Netanyahu’s departure
Israeli officials sent assurances to Somaliland’s leadership that Israel’s position on the territory would not change if power changed hands and a new government headed by Gadi Eisenkot replaced Benjamin Netanyahu’s, according to a report by the public broadcaster Kan on Thursday evening.
About a year ago, Israel recognized the independence of Somaliland, which is still considered part of Somalia by the international community and the Arab world. The region’s president also visited Israel in recent months.
However, Somaliland’s leadership has recently expressed concern that Israel’s policy toward it could change if Netanyahu leaves office and Eisenkot becomes the next prime minister.
According to the report, this concern is partly linked to a misunderstanding of Israel’s domestic political landscape, and perhaps also to insufficient communication between the region’s leadership and figures from the change camp, which may form the next government.
In light of these concerns, reassuring messages from Israel were conveyed to Somaliland’s leadership, including from figures not aligned with any political camp. The messages stated that recognition of the region’s independence is not disputed within Israel and that Israel does not intend to reverse its decision, even if the government changes.