JERUSALEM/MOGADISHU (SD) – Israel has announced for the first time that it has initiated a specific relationship with the Government of Somalia, citing “shared interests” in countering Houthis’ influence in the Horn of Africa.

While no formal diplomatic relations previously existed between Somalia and Israel, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel stated in a video interview with the Israeli outlet i24NEWS that Somalia is a nation with significant influence in the economy, fisheries, commercial maritime routes, and global trade, particularly through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This, she argued, makes Somalia a crucial country for matters concerning the Red Sea and international security.

This relationship is reported to stem from Somalia’s perceived threat from the Houthis, born from the alleged collaboration between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab. The statement referenced a United Nations report that noted a growing connection between Al-Shabaab and the Houthis.

The Government of Somalia has categorically denied the existence of any diplomatic relations or other ties with Israel. This denial followed an Israeli official’s statement that they were conducting talks with several African nations, including Somalia.

Israel’s announcement is a clear move to expand its diplomatic and security perimeter into the strategic Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. By publicly naming Somalia—a key littoral state controlling the southern approach to the Bab al-Mandab Strait—Israel signals its intent to be an active player in securing this vital chokepoint against the Houthi threat, which directly targets Israeli-linked shipping. Framing it as a “shared interest” against Iran-aligned Houthis positions the outreach within its broader regional confrontation with Tehran.

Israel’s reference to a UN report on Houthi-Al-Shabaab ties is a strategic justification. Whether the connection is substantive or nascent, using the UN’s authority provides a veneer of objective, security-based rationale for the outreach, moving it beyond pure geopolitics into the realm of counterterrorism—a more palatable frame for international audiences.

Somalia’s immediate and categorical denial was inevitable and reveals the asymmetric pressures on the two states. For Somalia, maintaining solidarity with the Arab and Islamic world, where recognition of Israel remains highly contentious, is a paramount foreign policy and domestic imperative. Openly engaging with Israel would risk alienating crucial allies like Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and could provoke a violent backlash from Al-Shabaab, which would use it as a potent recruitment tool.

This episode follows a classic pattern of unofficial or exploratory contacts being aired by one side for strategic gain, forcing a public denial from the other. Israel gains by signalling proactive diplomacy and testing the waters. Somalia’s denial protects its immediate interests but does not conclusively prove that no backchannel communications or intelligence-sharing on specific security matters (like maritime threats) have occurred. The space for tacit, security-focused cooperation often exists beneath the threshold of formal diplomacy.

This public exchange highlights the complex cross-pressures on Horn of Africa nations. They are courted by rival Middle Eastern powers (Saudi Arabia/UAE vs. Qatar/Türkiye vs. Iran) and now potentially by Israel. Somalia’s denial shows its primary alignment remains within the Arab-Islamic bloc, but the very fact of Israel’s overture indicates Mogadishu is seen as a sufficiently coherent state to be a worthwhile strategic partner—a backhanded acknowledgment of its growing geopolitical relevance.

Israel’s announcement is less about an established relationship with Somalia and more about strategic signalling and positioning. It aims to project influence, legitimize its role in Red Sea security, and apply indirect pressure on Iran’s network. For Somalia, the episode is a diplomatic tightrope walk, requiring a firm public stance to maintain critical regional alliances while potentially navigating unacknowledged security realities. This incident underscores how the broader Middle Eastern cold war is increasingly being fought on African shores, with fragile states like Somalia as both battlegrounds and reluctant pawns.