Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is set to trigger a tectonic shift in Red Sea geopolitics On December 26, 2025, Israel became the first country in the world to officially recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Somaliland – a self-declared state that is officially part of Somalia. For the region, which broke away from the federal government in Mogadishu in 1991, this event is historic: Somaliland had sought international recognition for over 30 years. Israeli Prime