Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdilahi this week as the two sides moved to deepen security, military, economic, and diplomatic ties.

During the meeting, Katz highlighted what he described as a long-standing relationship between Israel and Somaliland, saying the two sides share common interests, democratic values, and a commitment to regional security and stability.

“Israel and Somaliland share a long-standing friendship based on common interests, democratic values, and commitment to security and stability,” Katz said. “For many years, we collaborated under the radar on a series of operations that will remain secret. Now we are determined to take our security cooperation to new heights—for the benefit of both peoples and regional stability.”

The Israeli delegation included senior officials from the Defense Ministry and the IDF, including representatives from the Political-Military Department, the ministry’s leadership, the IDF Planning Directorate, and Israel’s designated ambassador to Somaliland.

The Somaliland delegation included the defense minister, minister for presidential affairs, commander of the Somaliland Army, senior intelligence officials, and Somaliland’s ambassador to Israel.

The meeting reflects growing ties between Jerusalem and Somaliland, with both sides signaling an interest in expanding cooperation across multiple sectors amid evolving regional security challenges.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)