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Hersi Ali Haji Hassan tells Al Jazeera that Hargeisa had ‘no choice’ but to seek recognition from Tel Aviv after 34 years of isolation.
A senior official from Somaliland’s governing party has fiercely defended the breakaway region’s decision to normalise relations with Israel, dismissing widespread condemnation from the Arab and Muslim world as hypocritical.
In a heated interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher on Wednesday, Hersi Ali Haji Hassan, chairman of the ruling Waddani party, argued that Somaliland was forced to look to Israel for legitimacy after being ignored by the international community for decades.
The comments follow a controversial visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to Hargeisa, the region’s largest city and “capital”, earlier this week – the first since Israel recognised the region’s independence in late December.
“We are not in a position to choose,” Hassan told Al Jazeera. “We are in a state of necessity for official international recognition.
“There is no choice before us but to welcome any country that recognises our existential right,” he added.
‘They ignored us for 34 years’
The visit has triggered a diplomatic firestorm. The federal government in Mogadishu, which considers Somaliland part of its territory, condemned the move as a violation of sovereignty. The Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also issued statements rejecting the “separatist reality”.
Hassan, however, brushed off the criticism.
“We have been an independent state for 34 years,” he said. “The rejection of the Arab League does not matter to us at all. They did not accept us as a member … and we did not receive any attention from Arab countries.”
When pressed on why Somaliland would ally with Israel while it is isolated in the region, Hassan pointed to other Arab nations.
“Normalisation with Israel is not limited to Somaliland,” he argued. “Many Arab and Islamic countries have broad political and economic relations with Israel, such as Egypt, Turkiye, Jordan, and the UAE.”
The military base question
Regional powers are concerned that the new alliance could lead to an Israeli military foothold at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
When asked repeatedly if Somaliland would allow Israel to establish a military base on its soil, Hassan refused to rule it out explicitly.
“We have started diplomatic relations… This topic [a military base] has not been touched upon now,” Hassan said.
Pressed further on whether Hargeisa would accept such a request in the future, he replied: “Ask the question when the time comes… The question is untimely.”
He insisted that the relationship is currently diplomatic and economic, aimed at securing international legitimacy.
‘Political, not religious’
The interview grew tense when the discussion turned to the war on Gaza. The anchor Ahmed Taha challenged Hassan on the morality of forging ties with a state accused of genocide, asking how he could ignore the suffering of “two million besieged Palestinians”.
Hassan sought to separate the political deal from religious solidarity, claiming that the war in Gaza had “stopped” following a US-brokered initiative in October 2025 – a reference to a recent ceasefire deal championed by United States President Donald Trump. Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.
“We deal with Israel politically,” Hassan said. “Political dealing is not something religion forbids… Our stance on the Palestinian people is similar to the stance of Arab and Islamic countries.
“We are far from these problems,” he added. “We are looking for international recognition… That is the key.”
