Inside Somaliland: Israel’s Recognition and the Red Sea Chessboard

In our first episode of 2026, Jim Stenman speaks with Dr. Mohamed Hagi, Somaliland’s Presidential Advisor on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, days after Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland. Hagi argues recognition changes the operating reality of diplomacy, from trade and finance to security cooperation. We discuss what Somaliland says it wants from Israel, what Israel may gain in return, and how this recognition reverberates across the Red Sea corridor, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa. The conversation also covers Berbera port and the UAE’s footprint there, Ethiopia’s long-running push for sea access, and why Hagi says U.S. recognition remains the holy grail, including the roles of Donald Trump, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.In this episode:What recognition unlocks in practiceIsrael–Somaliland: interests on both sidesRed Sea security and regional backlashEthiopia, Berbera, and sea-access politicsThe Washington angle and diaspora politics