Israel Seeks Stronger Ties with Somaliland as Riyadh-Ankara-Islamabad Cooperation Raises Security Concerns
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli has called for stronger relations with Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE, as Israel raises concerns over growing defense cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Tel Aviv – Somali Report: Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, has said that Israel needs to strengthen its relations with what it considers key strategic partners, including Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates.
Chikli’s remarks come as Israel closely monitors emerging security and defense developments across the Middle East, particularly the growing cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
According to reports published by Clash Report, Chikli specifically emphasized the importance of deepening Israel’s relations with Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE, describing such partnerships as increasingly important to Israel’s strategic interests.
The Israeli minister also expressed strong concern over what he described as a “very dangerous and concerning development” involving the emerging defense cooperation between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Chikli noted that Saudi Arabia already had a defense agreement with Pakistan, but said he was particularly concerned about the increasingly close relationship between Riyadh and Ankara.
He argued that Turkey’s increasingly confrontational position toward Israel makes the growing Saudi-Turkish relationship a significant security concern for Tel Aviv.
“The Mecca alliance is a very dangerous and very concerning development,” Chikli said, referring to the growing strategic cooperation involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.
He warned that Saudi Arabia’s closer alignment with Turkey could have significant political and security consequences, particularly given the wider strategic environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and Syria.
The comments come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Israel and Turkey. The two countries have increasingly disagreed over regional political and security issues, as well as developments across the Middle East.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have been strengthening their defense cooperation, a development that Israel views as potentially capable of affecting the regional balance of power.
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The emerging alignment has attracted attention because the three countries possess significant political, economic and military influence. Their closer cooperation could create a new strategic dynamic in a region already characterized by competing alliances and rival security interests.
Against this backdrop, Israel appears increasingly focused on strengthening relationships with countries and territories it considers strategically important.
Somaliland was among the partners specifically mentioned by Chikli, highlighting the growing attention Tel Aviv is placing on its relationship with Hargeisa.
The strategic importance of Somaliland is also linked to its location along the Gulf of Aden and near the Red Sea, an area that has become increasingly important to regional and international security calculations.
Chikli’s comments therefore point to a broader Israeli effort to strengthen its network of regional partnerships as new security arrangements emerge across the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.
For Israel, closer relations with Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE could provide additional diplomatic and strategic options at a time when traditional regional relationships are undergoing significant changes.
The developments also highlight the increasingly interconnected security environment between the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, where developments in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Eastern Mediterranean are becoming closely linked.
As Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan deepen their cooperation, Israel is signaling that it intends to respond by reinforcing its own strategic partnerships.
The latest statements are therefore likely to fuel further debate over the changing balance of power in the region and the potential role Somaliland could play in Israel’s emerging regional strategy.
About the Author
Bashir Guhad is a reporter at Somali Report covering politics, security, business, and trade across the Somali region.