Strange Bedfellows in the Recognition Game

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Somaliland received a belated Christmas present last week when Israel took the bold step of formally recognizing Somaliland, becoming the first country in the world to do so. While many in this small nation took to the streets in celebration, not surprisingly, many of its neighbors were not so happy, among them Somalia, Egypt, Turkey and Djibouti.

Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia in 1991, and since then has been desperately seeking validation from first world countries.

But Western democracies have not been willing to recognize this African nation, despite numerous efforts from Somaliland which could use their acceptance to increase trade and their standing in the international community.

However, just a few months ago, a wave of liberal democracies decided that a self-proclaimed Palestinian State was more deserving of their endorsement. Led by France, these nations included Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Norway, Ireland, and other liberal nations with no skin in the game. They joined about 150+ other UN member states (roughly 80% of UN members) formally recognizing the so-called State of Palestine in September of this year. They saw it as a “symbolic step toward peace and justice.”

Keep in mind that this happened just when Israel and the United States were engaging in high stakes, delicate negotiations to create a just and lasting peace in the region and when Hamas was continuing to refuse to give up its 20 remaining live Israeli hostages and 28 corpses. That detail didn’t seem to be worth their consideration. Despite these proclamations, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu succeeded in convincing Hamas and other Arab nations to enter into a ceasefire.

Let’s take a look into why so many liberal democracies voted “yes” to Palestinian statehood, but “no” to Somaliland statehood.

Somaliland has an elected Parliament, its own currency, a flag, and a military and police force. It has been described as “an oasis of relative calm in a region torn by conflicts,” according to the New York Times (“Israel Is First Country to Recognize Somaliland,” Dec. 28, 2025). But apparently that’s not enough for the majority of UN member states.

I’m thinking that perhaps if Somalilanders (that’s a mouthful!) had engaged in terrorist acts culminating in the October 7 massacre of innocent children, women, young concert goers and elderly citizens, and prior to that conducted unceasing missile attacks against its neighbor, as well as car rammings, stabbings and shootings, had built a network of tunnels to invade their neighbor (using money from humanitarian aid), and declared themselves a nation of refugees dependent on the United Nations for economic sustenance, then perhaps these western countries allegedly committed to supporting democracy would have responded with recognition. But no.

What do I know about Somaliland? Not much, other than that I admire how they deal with disobedient children. Thinking about this non-recognized country, brought to mind a somewhat humorous article I had read awhile back in the Wall Street Journal, (“One Father’s Desperate Plan to Rescue his Son from America,” Feb. 5 2023). It described the story of a Somali boy living in Minnesota, whose parents were so horrified by his embrace of American teenage behavior patterns – smoking marijuana, staying out late, and playing video games – that they returned to Somaliland to dish out some tough love.

They knew that under Somaliland’s 2012 Public Order and Discipline Law, it is illegal for a male over age 15 to disobey his parents and parents can ask authorities to detain their sons as punishment. So the next time he misbehaved, his parents contacted the police and he was detained for nine days after which the judge ordered that he attend college, study the Quran and help with his siblings as a condition of freedom. If he didn’t shape up they warned, his father could bring him back to court for imprisonment.

Yes! I thought. My kind of country! In fact I remember telling my own grandsons about this and their response was, “What is Somaliland? Is it like Disneyland?”

Unlike my grandsons’ reactions, this story served to increase my awareness and appreciation of this small nation. 

Somaliland has been diplomatically isolated since its unilateral declaration of independence, even if it has generally experienced greater stability than Somalia, where Al-Shabaab Islamic militants periodically mount attacks in its capital Mogadishu. (Houthi leader threatens to ‘target’ any Israeli presence in Somaliland, Times of Israel, December 29, 2025).

Israel’s recognition of Somaliland was, unsurprisingly, criticized by the African Union, Egypt, Turkey, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation, all of whom recognize Palestinian statehood.

It seems to me that recognition of statehood is a highly politicized performance and despite some international rules is dependent more on political calculations than on set parameters. Somaliland hasn’t gotten the traction that “Palestine” has, perhaps because deliberations as to its solvency don’t include Israel. It has become quite de rigueur for Western nations, such as France, to express their support for a Palestinian state, especially after they demonstrated how much they deserved it for launching an unprovoked, vicious attack against Israel and refusing to return hostages. (Am I dripping with enough sarcasm?)

Somaliland, on the other hand, gets very little press coverage and the world at large generally is totally oblivious about its very existence even though it has a larger population than the Palestinian territories. I suppose in terms of spreading propaganda, this small nation doesn’t have the muscle and financial backing that a territory governed by radical Islamists does. 

So, in steps Israel and in a brilliant maneuver becomes the first nation to recognize Somaliland much to the joy of its citizens who hope this will lead to more international acceptance. It’s a perfect fit. Israel knows all too well how distressing it is to have a host of countries, mostly Muslim, not recognize its statehood of 77 years, so indeed it can relate. 

It will definitely benefit Israel as well. Already Somaliland has joined the Abraham accords and soon will enjoy mutual cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and finance. So far, Taiwan alone seems eager to follow in Israel’s footsteps. It’s so revealing to see who sides with who.