Jerusalem
\nThe breakaway state of Somaliland has opened an embassy in Jerusalem, six months after Israel became the first country to recognise it as an independent nation.
\nThe opening of the diplomatic mission at a technology park in West Jerusalem came while Somaliland\u2019s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi was on an official visit to Israel.
\nDuring a meeting with the president, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of \u201ca deep spiritual bond between our peoples\u201d.
\nBut Somalia, which considers Somaliland to be part of its territory, described any engagement with \u201cthe secessionist administration of the northern region of Somalia\u2026 [as] a violation of its sovereignty\u201d.
\nIsrael\u2019s recognition of Somaliland last December was controversial.
\nDozens of countries and organisations including China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the African Union criticised the declaration.
\nBut since then Israel and Somaliland have been cementing ties. Earlier this year Israel\u2019s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made an official visit to Somaliland\u2019s capital, Hargeisa.
\nSomaliland\u2019s decision to open its mission in Jerusalem rather than Tel Aviv, where most foreign embassies are based, was also praised by Netanyahu.
\nIsrael occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the sector in 1980, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community, and regards the whole of Jerusalem as its \u201ceternal and undivided\u201d capital.
\nThe Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for future state.
\nMany countries, including the UK, have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv since the US controversially moved its embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, during President Donald Trump\u2019s first term in office.
\nGuatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji also now have embassies in the city.
\nThe Palestinian Authority foreign ministry has condemned \u201cthe opening of the alleged embassy by the so-called \u2018Somaliland\u2019 in the occupied city of Jerusalem\u201d, according to a statement quoted by the Palestinian News Agency, Wafa.
\nIt \u201cconsidered this step a flagrant violation of international law and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy\u201d.
\nBut Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for siting the embassy in the city, \u201cour ancient capital\u201d.
\nHe drew a parallel with Somaliland\u2019s call for recognition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jerusalem The breakaway state of Somaliland has opened an embassy in Jerusalem, six months after Israel became the first country to recognise it as an independent nation. The opening of the diplomatic mission at a technology park in West Jerusalem came while Somaliland\u2019s President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi was on an official visit to Israel. During […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-551641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n