By Gabriella Gomperts, Senior Features Editor & Ashley Hefner, Photographer and Staff Writer
On December 26, 2025, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as an independent state. Somaliland, located in the Horn of Africa, seceded from Somalia in 1991, and though it operates as a de facto state, it is not recognized as a sovereign nation by the international community.
Israel’s recognition is a historic milestone for Somaliland and a militarily strategic initiative for Israel. The move triggered backlash from much of the international community, revealing that statehood is not universally applied as an objective legal status — it is applied selectively, depending on political convenience and strategic interests.
Why Now: Security and Strategy
Though Israel’s recognition provides some legitimacy to Somaliland, the ultimate goal is not necessarily to start a “snowball effect” whereby other nations come to recognize Somaliland as well. For Israel, bolstering ties with a nation in the Horn of Africa acts as a counterweight to Iranian influence in the region.
In October 2023, the Iranian-backed Houthi terror group based in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea, only halting their attacks last October when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas. Today, ships are still being rerouted around the southern Cape of Africa to avoid confrontation with the Houthis.
Dr. Jonathan Cristol, a foreign policy expert and adjunct political science professor at Yeshiva University, agrees that maintaining security in the Red Sea is of utmost importance for Israel. Since Oct. 7, Israel’s confidence in Red Sea security has been called into question because of the Houthis’ indiscriminate attacks on shipping and their missile production capabilities. “ The one group in Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ that has done extremely well and is better off today than they were on October 6, 2023 is the Houthis,” he said.
Somaliland’s proximity to the Red Sea and Yemen makes a possible partnership with Israel that much more important for regional and maritime security.
Somaliland: A State in All But Name
Due to violence and an unstable economy in Somalia, Somaliland has governed itself as a distinct entity from Somalia’s government in the south for more than thirty years. Therefore, “the political statement maybe is not Israel’s; the political statement is all of the states that don’t recognize Somaliland,” Dr. Cristol explained. “The reality on the ground is that there is a place called Somaliland that is distinct in every way, in which the government in [Somalia’s capital] Mogadishu exerts no authority.” So why has there been a lack of formal recognition from the international community?
The African Union, a continental body that consists of 55 member states, and the greater international community are against formal recognition of Somaliland because they fear it will set a precedent for other separatist movements to gain statehood, undermining states’ national unity in a region fraught with political instability. “Any attempt to undermine the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia … risks setting a dangerous precedent with far-reaching implications for peace and stability across the continent,” the AU said in a statement.
The Rules Say Yes, the Politics Say No
In 1933, the Montevideo Convention defined the four qualifications of statehood: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and a capacity to enter into relations with other states. Under this definition, Somaliland fits the bill.
But the reality is that even if a potential state meets the criteria of the Montevideo Convention, that does not necessarily lead to recognition from the international community. As Dr. Cristol puts it, “it is of questionable legality to recognize a state that does not meet those criteria, but there is no obligation to recognize anything that does meet those criteria.” The true nature of granting statehood is a political choice rather than an outcome based upon objective criteria.
Although this seems very unfair, especially to Somaliland, the alternative could also be dangerous. If objective measures are invoked to force recognition in one case, “you need to apply it to all the places that meet said criteria,” according to Dr. Cristol.
This demand could lead to dangerous situations. For example, if a Palestinian state met the criteria with Hamas as its government, would Israel be forced to recognize it?
And, even if recognition of statehood purported to follow objective criteria, the actual measures are still subjective, according to Dr. Cristol, “ because whether or not the real-world case meets the genuinely objective criteria is not obvious.” This reveals a much deeper issue about wanting fairness under the purview of neutrality while understanding that this is an impossible standard to meet.
If Values Matter, Somaliland Matters
Without international recognition, Somaliland is denied essential benefits that come with statehood. This includes protection from external interference in its internal affairs, access to international courts, diplomatic protection of citizens abroad and participation in the international economic system.
The concern that rigid, objective criteria could produce dangerous outcomes is valid. But acknowledging that risk does not mean we should abandon the aspiration of having objective standards altogether. Instead, it highlights the need for more refined qualifiers of statehood. For example, concepts like having “a government,” as defined in the Montevideo Convention, are too vague to capture what a stable and legitimate government actually is.
Measures like peaceful transfers of power, commitment to cooperating with the international community and efforts to improve citizens’ quality of life — principles that the international community claims to value — may be helpful to improve the objective criteria of statehood.
Somaliland clearly demonstrates these principles. Not only does it meet the Montevideo Convention criteria, it also exemplifies the additional standards just described. If these principles truly mean anything to the international community, Somaliland should be rewarded with recognition, not indefinitely excluded from the benefits of statehood.
Israel’s decision to recognize Somaliland is a recognition of these principles, while also being a politically strategic choice. Hopefully, it will set a standard for other countries to follow suit. When de facto states exhibit a willingness to cooperate with the international community and actively work to improve their citizens’ lives, recognition and the right to self-determination should be granted.
Photo Credit: Unsplash