Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland. Lapid argues the move demonstrates a lack of clear and organized foreign policy within the Israeli government.
Speaking at a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Media Committee, Lapid stated that the decision to recognize Somaliland was not a collective government decision, nor was it approved by the Security Cabinet. Instead, he claims the decision was made within the Prime Minister’s office, bypassing established protocols for political and diplomatic decision-making.
Lapid further noted that the recognition has been met with widespread condemnation from numerous countries, including those in the region. “The State of Israel does not have a clear foreign policy, and this is another step that lacks an organized principle,” he asserted.
Netanyahu’s announcement last Friday that Israel officially recognizes Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state has triggered significant regional and international reactions, particularly from Somalia. Somaliland unilaterally declared its independence in 1991 but has not received international recognition. The central Somali government maintains its commitment to the country’s unity and rejects any external recognition of the region.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud reiterated his country’s categorical rejection of Netanyahu’s announcement, describing it as a “flagrant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and an aggression against its national unity.” He added that Somalia refuses to transfer the chaos and conflicts caused by Israel in the Middle East to Somali territory.
In a related matter, Lapid also criticized Netanyahu’s planned meeting with US President Donald Trump in Florida. The details of that meeting were not immediately available.
