Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Mohamed Hagi as Somaliland’s inaugural ambassador to Israel during a diplomatic ceremony held at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on May 18, 2026.
The historic credential presentation coincided with the 35th anniversary of Somaliland’s declaration of independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991. Israel became the first nation to officially recognize Somaliland on December 26, 2025.
During the same ceremony, Herzog also accepted credentials from new ambassadors representing the Republic of Korea (Park Inho), the Holy See (Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Giorgio Lingua), Australia (Neil Hawkins), and Vietnam (Nguyen Ky Son).
Herzog characterized Hagi’s appointment as part of Israel’s broader initiative to enhance relationships with African countries and referenced his previous encounter with Somaliland’s president in Davos.
“It’s a great honor to receive the first ambassador of the Republic of Somaliland in Israel as we further pursue our warm and good relations with the nations of Africa. I especially want to welcome you after I met your President in Davos, where we had a wonderful meeting,” Herzog stated.
The Israeli president characterized Somaliland’s response to Israel’s recognition as emotionally powerful.
“The incredible joy of the people of Somaliland shown upon Israel’s recognition of your nation warmed our hearts. I think this is a unique opportunity to develop dialogue with … Muslim countries who are so important in the region.”
Herzog indicated Israel plans to provide support in areas including food security, energy, and science, stating: “Hopefully, we will go from strength to strength together.”
Hagi characterized the Israel-Somaliland partnership as extending beyond standard diplomatic relations, calling it strategic cooperation.
“It’s an honor to be here today. We have built a great relationship, which is a strategic one that will pave the way forward on many things in all domains, whether that is development, political cooperation, security cooperation, and, of course, the people-to-people relationship,” Hagi stated.
“The people of Somaliland very much appreciate that Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland,” he concluded.
