The 'Somaliland' region.. a strategic window for Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announced yesterday mutual recognition in the region of Somaliland, which forms a strategic site for international trade and security for global navigation, overlooking the Red Sea coast and close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Israel realized its importance after October 7th, following the threats it faced from the Houthis as a support front for the Gaza sector during the genocide war launched by Israel against the Palestinian people. It was also rumored on more than one occasion that this region might accept Palestinians on its territory in exchange for recognizing its legitimacy, which it has not received as a political entity except from the state of Israel. Recently, international interest in controlling maritime ports has increased amid the development of events and regional and international conflicts, as well as international competition in the Horn of Africa region, with Somalia in the middle. This strategic window for Israel and against it will help reshape regional dynamics and increase geopolitical conflict and competition in this area.
Implications of the timing of recognizing the Somaliland region:
On the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to the United States and his meeting with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, all eyes are on this important meeting and the two axes regarding arrangements for the day after in Gaza and moving to the second phase of the ceasefire within the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement signed on October 10th according to Trump's 20-point plan. There are conflicting statements and priorities between the administrations in Tel Aviv and Washington, and frantic attempts by the Israeli Prime Minister to convince Trump of what serves the ruling Israeli right-wing project in the state of Israel. But in my opinion, all these statements and conflicting priorities may change after this meeting following this political, security, and strategic breakthrough for Israel in recognizing Somaliland in order to work greatly from Israeli lobbies in America to convince Trump to recognize this region. Netanyahu will not hesitate to use his influence from components of the American administration and the Israeli pressure group 'Christian Zionists' to recognize this region in order to besiege Chinese presence in the Horn of Africa, especially the military base in Djibouti. This region will be an advanced base for Israel and America in facing the threat of Iranian influence and its arms in the region, especially the Houthi group, and given the strategic importance of this region, which controls 460 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Aden, making it the southern gateway to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait through which approximately a third of global maritime trade passes annually. It is also a strategic location at the junction of the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa region. This is like a card to attract the United States around the safety of navigation and maritime trade in this area, which will be a hot spot in the near future for competition among regional and world powers. But despite the importance mentioned, in my opinion, Netanyahu will try to achieve the strategic goal of his project by convincing Trump to recognize this region, and then re-propose what is more dangerous than recognition, which is the displacement of Palestinians. This file has remained present on Netanyahu's agenda, and he tirelessly tries to implement it after this great destruction in the sector and the stumbling in transitioning to the second phase, obstructing all efforts to start the reconstruction project and recovery program for the sector and other pending issues where Netanyahu succeeds in putting sticks in the wheels of Trump's plan and implementing the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement. This is what we fear, especially since Israel is approaching an election year, and Netanyahu wants not to disappear from the political scene in front of judicial issues pursuing him, as well as political and popular pressure demanding the formation of an investigation committee into the failure on October 7th.  
Regional and Arab reactions to recognizing Somaliland:
The Israeli recognition of the Somaliland region faced widespread condemnation from Arab and regional countries and African Union countries. This was expressed by Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who 'confirmed the complete rejection of this step, considering it a violation of international law rules and encroachment on the principle of territorial integrity and state sovereignty, which is the cornerstone in the UN Charter and international relations'. For its part, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati conducted calls with Turkish, Djiboutian, and Somali foreign ministers, and they confirmed 'the complete rejection and condemnation of this step, and that recognition of parts of Somali territory constitutes a dangerous precedent and a threat to international peace and security'.
The Somali Minister of Information called for holding an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to discuss the repercussions of the Israeli recognition of the Somaliland region. The African Union also expressed 'its absolute rejection of any recognition of Somaliland, affirming strict commitment to Somalia's unity and sovereignty'. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister announced that this recognition of the Republic of Somaliland 'as an independent and sovereign state', and that Israel will intensify this cooperation in the fields of agriculture, technology, economy, and health. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on the (X) platform 'that this agreement will include establishing full diplomatic relations, including opening embassies and appointing ambassadors'. In return, the Somaliland region will obtain Israeli smart technology in agriculture, water management, and port security.
In conclusion: This recognition constitutes a dangerous precedent in the Horn of Africa region and the unity of political entities, as well as a strategic pivot point for the state of Israel in this region, its overlooking of important ports, establishing military, security, and intelligence bases to besiege Iranian influence and the Houthis, as well as increasing the intensity of regional competition, especially Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran, and a turning point in re-engineering the balance of power in the Red Sea basin, in addition to increasing competition in the Horn of Africa between the United States and China.