Israel, Somaliland and the Horn

Israel, Somaliland and the Horn

From The Horn by International Crisis Group

February 19, 2026 · 27 min · Season 7 · Episode 10

About this episode

This episode discusses Israel's recognition of Somaliland and its interests in the Horn of Africa.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by Asher Lubotzky, senior research fellow at the Israel-Africa Relations Institute, to discuss Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and its interests in the Horn of Africa. They trace the history of Israel’s involvement in the region and its relationships today. They discuss why Israel moved to recognise Somaliland, how the decision links to Red Sea security concerns and the Houthi threat from Yemen, and what both sides hope to gain from closer ties. They also examine whether the growing rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could shape Israel’s role in the Horn, and what Israel hopes to gain from diplomatic relations on the continent.  For more, check out our recent episode “ The Rupture in the Gulf, and Its Fallout ”, our Analyst’s Notebook “ Gulf Tensions Spill into Somalia as Mogadishu Snubs UAE ”, as well as our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Alan

Guest: Asher Lubotzky

Topics covered

  • Israel-Somaliland relations
  • Horn of Africa
  • Red Sea security
  • Houthi threat
  • Saudi-UAE rift
  • diplomatic relations

Keywords

  • Israel
  • Somaliland
  • Horn of Africa
  • Red Sea
  • Houthi
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • diplomatic relations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Israel-Africa Relations Institute

Books & works: The Rupture in the Gulf, and Its Fallout, Gulf Tensions Spill into Somalia as Mogadishu Snubs UAE

Places: Somaliland, Israel, Horn of Africa, Red Sea, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

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