Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has praised his country’s historic recognition of Somaliland as an “important decision” and expressed confidence that other nations will soon follow suit.
In an interview with i24NEWS, Danon highlighted Israel’s pride in Somaliland’s achievements and anticipation of closer cooperation.
“Well, first, I think it was an important decision,” Danon said. “I’ve been meeting representatives from Somaliland over the last few years, including here in the US. We are very proud of what they have achieved, and we are looking forward to working together with them.”
He added, “I believe more countries will join and recognize Somaliland. We’re not pushing for that, but the fact that we did it—and with Minister Gideon [Sa’ar] visiting Somaliland and meeting their representatives here in New York—I think others are looking at this for the future. We will see more countries recognizing Somaliland.”
Drawing a parallel to Israel’s early recognition of South Sudan, Danon continued: “I visited South Sudan, and it reminded me that we were among the first to recognize this young state, and then many others joined us. I think something similar is happening now with Somaliland.”
Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland’s independence on December 26, 2025, followed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s visit to the nation on January 6, 2026.
The move has sparked international debate, but Danon remains optimistic about growing diplomatic momentum.
