UAE and Bahrain abstain as GCC condemns Somaliland embassy plan in occupied Jerusalem

UAE and Bahrain fail to join GCC condemnation of Somaliland opening embassy in Jerusalem Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Tue, 05/26/2026 - 09:48 A range of Arab and Muslim states denounce 'illegal' move by the breakaway Somali state Somaliland prison guards parade at the 35th Independence Day celebrations near the presidential palace in Hargeisa's Shap neighbourhood on 18 May 2026 (Kang-Chun Cheng/AFP) Off The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have failed to join fellow Gulf states in condemning Somaliland's plan to open a new embassy in Jerusalem. Somaliland’s ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Hagi, said on Tuesday that the move came after Israel became the first and only state to recognise the breakaway Somali region in 2025. “Israel will also establish its embassy in Hargeisa, reflecting growing friendship, mutual respect, and strategic cooperation between our two peoples,” he added, referring to the Somaliland capital. East Jerusalem is considered occupied under international law. Israel wrested control of the city from Jordan in the 1967 war, but the vast majority of countries have refused to recognise it as its capital. Foreign ministers from four of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia - joined Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, Mauritania, Algeria, Bangladesh and Morocco in condemning the “illegal and unacceptable step taken by the so-called Somaliland region in opening its purported embassy in occupied Jerusalem”. The UAE and Bahrain, GCC members that have both normalised relations with Israel, did not join the condemnation reported by Arab News. Meanwhile, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi also denounced the embassy move as a violation of international and United Nations laws. Since Israel’s recognition, Somaliland officials have discussed building an Israeli military base in the territory, despite previous denials of such a plan from Hargeisa’s foreign ministry. A foothold in Somaliland would put Israel a short distance away from Yemen’s Houthis, who have targeted shipping in the Red Sea in recent years in what they said was retaliation for the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. UAE removing its military from Bosaso after angry Somalia ends agreement Read More » Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but is still internationally recognised as part of Somalia by the UN, African Union and most governments worldwide. The UAE's relationship with Somaliland dates back to 2017, when its government accepted an Emirati bid to establish a military base there, hoping that this relationship would strengthen its case for independence. In January, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of spiriting Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who was facing treason charges, out of Yemen to Somaliland before he travelled on to Abu Dhabi. Somalia reacted angrily to the allegations, severing the UAE’s commercial and military contracts in Somaliland, although it retains little control over the territory.  Unlike Saudi Arabia, which primarily engages with Mogadishu, Abu Dhabi’s relationship with Somalia is shaped largely through its ties with Somaliland and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland. Middle East Eye contacted the UAE and Bahrain for clarification on their attitude to the embassy move, but had received no response at the time of publication. Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Arab States Voice Outrage Over New 'Illegal' Embassy Opening In Jerusalem Via The Cradle Fifteen Arab and Islamic countries condemned on Sunday the decision of the breakaway region of Somaliland to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem. The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, Djibouti, Somalia, Palestine, Oman, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon, and Mauritania denounced the move in a joint statement on Sunday. The countries condemned "in the strongest terms the illegal and unacceptable step taken by the so-called 'Somaliland' region in opening a purported 'embassy' in occupied Jerusalem," according to the statement. Newly opened embassy in Jerusalem, via X The countries issued the statement one week after Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed Somaliland's first-ever ambassador to Israel, Dr. Mohamed Hagi, at the President's Residence in occupied Jerusalem. "This new and important partnership between our countries will lead to a future of cooperation in a variety of fields – for the benefit of both our peoples and the entire region," Herzog stated. Seven countries have opened embassies in Jerusalem since the US, under President Donald Trump, recognized the city as Israel's capital in 2017. The decision sparked widespread international condemnation, given that Israeli forces illegally occupied East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967, which Palestinians call the Nakba. Since then, Israel has colonized East Jerusalem in violation of international law by expelling indigenous Palestinian Muslims and Christians and facilitating the settlement of Jewish Israelis in their place. The 15 countries rejected any unilateral measures to entrench "an illegal reality in occupied Jerusalem or conferring legitimacy on any entities or arrangements that contravene international law and relevant United Nations resolutions." The statement reaffirmed the fact that "East Jerusalem has been occupied Palestinian territory since 1967" and said any measures seeking to alter its legal or historical status are "null and void." The foreign ministers also expressed full support for the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Somalia, rejecting any unilateral actions that undermine Somali sovereignty. In April, Somalia condemned Israel's appointment of an ambassador to the breakaway region of Somaliland, calling the move a "breach" of its sovereignty and international law. "This action represents a direct breach of Somalia's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity," the Somalian Foreign Ministry said, adding that it "undermines the established international consensus."  Mogadishu added that the decision violates its territorial integrity and contradicts the UN Charter and African Union principles. The ministry stressed that Somaliland “remains an integral part” of Somalia, rejecting any attempt to grant it diplomatic recognition outside federal authority. On December 26, 2025, Israel formally recognized what it termed the Republic of Somaliland, marking a significant shift in its policy toward the Horn of Africa. The move altered the political equation along one of the world's most sensitive maritime routes. It consolidates a four-party alignment linking Israel, India, the UAE, and Ethiopia. This emerging axis focuses on securing maritime chokepoints in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandeb, while laying the groundwork for an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in eastern Africa. 16 Arab Islamic Countries Condemn Somaliland’s Opening of Purported Embassy in Jerusalem Doha | May 24, 2026 The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of… pic.twitter.com/F7gsx4Elsf — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) May 24, 2026 The timing followed months of escalating regional pressure, including the 12-day Israeli–Iranian war in June 2025 and the Yemeni maritime blockade targeting vessels bound for Israeli ports following the beginning of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Securing these waterways became a core component of Israeli national security planning. Somaliland's geography explains its importance. Somaliland's territory overlooks one of the world's busiest maritime arteries, facilitating trade flows linking Asia, Africa, and Europe.  Tyler Durden Mon, 05/25/2026 - 21:05