Israel Recognizes Somaliland: A New Chess Piece in the Great Game?
Mainstream media will frame this as a complex geopolitical dance, perhaps even a benign diplomatic gesture. What they won't dwell on is Israel's long-standing strategy of fostering alliances with non-Arab and peripheral states to counter regional Arab influence – a playbook dating back to its 'periphery doctrine' of the 1950s. This isn't about Somaliland's self-determination; it's about leveraging
internal divisions for external advantage, a pattern seen across the Horn of Africa and beyond. One might wonder about the timing, given the ongoing international scrutiny and condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza. Is destabilizing another nation a convenient distraction? Or perhaps a cynical strategic advantage for future Red Sea access from a 'new' ally? The recognition of disputed
territories often serves to create new geopolitical leverage, especially when one's existing international standing is… complicated, to say the least. It’s almost as if the architects of current policy still believe dividing and conquering works for everyone but the victims.