Israel has approved two new diplomatic postings, including the country’s first-ever ambassador to Somaliland, following a decision by the Foreign Ministry’s appointments committee.
The panel, headed by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, signed off Wednesday on the nominations of Yahel Vilan and Michael Lotem for key overseas roles.
Vilan has been selected to serve as Israel’s ambassador to Singapore and East Timor. He brings prior experience from his previous postings as ambassador to Kenya and Serbia.
Lotem, who currently serves as a non-resident economic ambassador to Africa, has been chosen as Israel’s inaugural ambassador to Somaliland. His past roles include diplomatic assignments in Kenya, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. At the outset, he will carry out the position as a non-resident ambassador.
Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025, becoming the first—and so far only—nation to grant official recognition to the self-declared republic, which Somalia continues to regard as part of its sovereign territory.
Shortly after that move, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar traveled to Somaliland for an official visit.
In January, President Isaac Herzog met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Following that meeting, Herzog wrote on social media, “I welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two nations and look forward to deepening our bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples.”
Abdullahi echoed the sentiment in his own post, writing, “Our discussions focused on strengthening and advancing bilateral relations between the Republic of Somaliland and the State of Israel.”
{Matzav.com}