Opinion : Somaliland’s Political Hypocrisy and the Pursuit of Israeli Recognition

For more than three decades, Somaliland’s political leadership has presented the world with a powerful and painful narrative: “We were massacred. Blood was shed. That is why we broke away.” This claim, framed through the language of human rights and resistance to oppression, has served as the moral foundation for Somaliland’s case for international recognition. Yet today, that foundation faces a serious test.

Reports suggesting that Somaliland is seeking recognition through Israel raise a hard and unavoidable question: how can a political project built on the memory of mass suffering seek legitimacy from a state widely accused of carrying out systematic destruction and mass civilian killings in our own time?

This is not a simple diplomatic choice. It is a deep moral and political contradiction. If the tragedy of 1988 was used as evidence of injustice and a reason to demand global solidarity, then Somaliland’s leaders have no ethical right to align themselves with a government accused of inflicting similar or worse suffering on others. Gaza has become a place where normal life is nearly impossible. Thousands have died through bombardment, forced displacement, and hunger. Children, women, the elderly, doctors, and hospital patients have all been turned into recurring targets. A leadership that claims victimhood, while openly pursuing partnership with today’s most controversial actor in the Palestinian tragedy, exposes itself as politically dishonest.

Even the timing of this pursuit worsens the damage. Somaliland’s outreach comes at a moment when the world is closely watching alleged war crimes and when international legal processes and investigations dominate global headlines. In that context, calling this “strategy” sounds less like diplomacy and more like a reckless gamble with Somaliland’s reputation. People who say they escaped mass violence cannot credibly applaud mass violence elsewhere, or treat it as a bargaining chip for their own political goals.

If this were only about politics, the controversy would still be serious, but perhaps manageable. Yet Somaliland’s identity is not merely political. Its flag carries the Islamic declaration of faith: “There is no god but Allah.” This is not decoration. It reflects a worldview rooted in belief, justice, and standing with the oppressed. That is why the contradiction becomes impossible to ignore. A flag bearing the name of God cannot easily share space with the flag of a state accused of repeatedly striking mosques, humiliating Muslims, and inflicting severe suffering on Palestinians. To use the banner of Islamic faith as a pathway toward Israeli recognition is not just political opportunism. It is an insult to religious identity and to the moral instincts of millions of Muslims.