In “A Jewish Case for Recognizing Somaliland,” Michael Freund advances a rare moral and strategic argument for international recognition of Somaliland—one rooted not only in geopolitics, but in Jewish historical experience.
Drawing parallels between Somaliland’s post-1991 state-building and Israel’s own early struggle for legitimacy, Freund contends that recognition should follow demonstrated governance, stability, and popular consent rather than diplomatic inertia.
The article frames Somaliland as a case study in responsible self-determination. For more than three decades, the territory has maintained peace, conducted competitive elections, and governed itself without external military occupation. Freund argues that this record stands in sharp contrast to the persistent instability of southern Somalia and undermines claims that recognition would meaningfully damage Somalia’s territorial integrity.
From a strategic standpoint, the essay highlights Somaliland’s location along the Gulf of Aden and near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait—a corridor critical to global trade and Israeli security. In an era of Iranian expansion, Houthi attacks on shipping, and regional volatility, Freund suggests that recognizing Somaliland would strengthen a pragmatic and reliable partner in a dangerous neighborhood.
Ultimately, the piece blends Jewish ethical memory, American political principles, and Israeli strategic interests into a single conclusion: recognizing Somaliland is not only geopolitically sensible, but morally consistent with the values Jews have long invoked in their own quest for statehood.
The complete piece is as follows:
A Jewish Case for Recognizing Somaliland
By Michael Freund
For more than three decades, a small, resilient territory on the Horn of Africa has quietly defied the chaos that engulfs its neighborhood. While the world fixates on Mogadishu and the chronic instability of southern Somalia, the people of Somaliland have built something altogether different: a functioning democracy, a measure of peace, and a culture of political compromise rare in their region.
As a Jew, an Israeli, and an American, I support Somaliland’s quest for international recognition. And I do so not out of sentimentality, but out of principle, history, and strategic clarity.
The Jewish people understand, perhaps better than most, what it means to struggle for legitimacy. For nearly two millennia, we wandered stateless across continents, our national aspirations dismissed, our ancient connection to our homeland denied. When the modern State of Israel was declared in 1948, it faced invasion, isolation, and skepticism. Many in the international community predicted it would not survive.
And yet it did.
Somaliland’s story echoes that determination. In 1991, after the collapse of the dictatorship in Somalia, Somaliland reclaimed the sovereignty it had briefly enjoyed in 1960 before voluntarily uniting with the rest of Somalia. Since then, it has operated with its own government, currency, military, and borders. It has held multiple competitive elections and witnessed peaceful transfers of power—no small feat in a turbulent region.
Like Israel in its early years, Somaliland has been forced to prove its viability without the benefit of widespread recognition. Its people have built institutions from the ground up, relying not on foreign troops but on local consensus and clan-based reconciliation. For a Jew steeped in our own history of perseverance, that resilience resonates deeply.
From Jerusalem’s vantage point, the Horn of Africa is not a distant abstraction. It sits astride critical maritime arteries linking the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. The port city of Berbera faces the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, through which a significant portion of global trade passes.
Instability in this corridor has real consequences for Israel’s security and economy. Iranian entrenchment, Houthi attacks on shipping, and jihadist networks all pose tangible threats.
In that context, Somaliland’s relative stability is not merely admirable; it is strategically significant. It has cooperated with Western and regional partners on security matters and has consistently positioned itself as a moderate, pragmatic actor. Recognition would not only reward good behavior; it would strengthen a reliable partner in a volatile neighborhood.
Israel, a nation that has too often been judged by double standards, should be wary of applying them to others. If we expect the world to recognize and respect our sovereignty, we should be prepared to extend that same courtesy to those who meet the criteria of statehood: defined territory, permanent population, functioning government, and the capacity to engage in foreign relations. By any fair measure, Somaliland qualifies.
As an American, I am guided by a simple proposition: governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. That principle animated the American Revolution and continues to shape U.S. foreign policy, at least in theory.
Somaliland’s case rests squarely on that foundation. Its independence is not the result of foreign occupation or sectarian fragmentation imposed from outside. It reflects a popular decision, repeatedly reaffirmed by its citizens and political leadership. Polls and public demonstrations alike attest to the overwhelming desire of its people to chart their own course.
Critics argue that recognizing Somaliland would undermine Somalia’s territorial integrity. But territorial integrity cannot be an absolute when the territorial entity in question has failed to exercise meaningful authority over a region for more than three decades. The international system should not trap millions of people in perpetual limbo out of deference to legal formalism divorced from reality.
Recognition is not a panacea. It would not magically resolve every economic challenge Somaliland faces. But it would unlock access to international financial institutions, enable direct bilateral agreements, and provide the diplomatic clarity necessary for long-term development.
There is also a moral dimension that Jews, in particular, should not ignore. Throughout history, we have appealed to the conscience of the nations, asking them to judge us fairly and to acknowledge our right to self-determination. We have bristled when our national aspirations were dismissed as inconvenient or destabilizing.
If we demand consistency from others, we must practice it ourselves.
Supporting Somaliland does not require hostility toward Somalia. It does not mean ignoring complex regional dynamics. It simply means acknowledging that people who have built a functioning polity, maintained peace, and demonstrated democratic intent deserve serious consideration.
For Israel, engagement with Somaliland could open new diplomatic and economic horizons in Africa. For the United States, it offers an opportunity to reinforce a rare success story in a troubled region. And for Jews who carry the memory of our own long journey to statehood, it is a reminder that legitimacy is often born of persistence.
Somaliland has done the hard work of governance. The question now is whether the world—and those of us who cherish freedom and national self-expression—will have the courage to recognize it.
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