Tel Aviv/Delhi: Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland is being viewed as part of Tel Aviv’s strategic plan for the Horn of Africa, aimed at countering Chinese and Turkish influence in the region. Israeli experts suggest that combining Israel’s advanced technology with India’s infrastructure capabilities can transform key ports like Berbera from vulnerable choke points into secure, sovereign corridors.
Dr. Lauren Dagan Amos, fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA) and lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, wrote in the Jerusalem Post that “the Horn of Africa could become a laboratory for India-Israel collaboration.” According to him, poorly governed regions in the Horn are being leveraged by external powers such as Iran to challenge Israel. Recognizing Somaliland is a step toward restructuring regional maritime governance.
India-Israel Partnership as a Regional Model
Dr. Amos argues that the partnership merges India’s physical infrastructure strengths with Israel’s cyber and technological expertise. For India, Africa represents both the “maritime neighborhood” principle and a target to expand defense exports to $5 billion, while Israel contributes technological superiority. The collaboration in Somaliland focuses on three core maritime governance capacities, enhancing surveillance and operational efficiency in states with large Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) but limited monitoring abilities.
Strategic Benefits for Ethiopia and Regional Security
The expert notes that several African nations are already benefiting from this India-Israel initiative. For landlocked Ethiopia, which is heavily dependent on Djibouti under Chinese influence, the Berbera port in Somaliland provides an alternative route. Securing this corridor allows the India-Israel partnership to weaken Chinese and Turkish influence while fostering Ethiopia’s economic development within a diversified, secure environment.
Why the Model Works
According to Dr. Amos, the India-Israel model offers a distinct alternative to China’s and Turkey’s “base-centric” and debt-laden strategies. Rather than establishing massive military bases, the approach prioritizes local capacity-building and interoperable systems tailored to operational realities. Somaliland demonstrates how medium powers can reshape regional security architecture by offering flexibility over direct control. Israel, for its part, ensures its interests in critical maritime corridors linking the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea through continuous “technological diplomacy.”
Dr. Amos concludes that this is more than a diplomatic experiment—it represents a potentially replicable model of security governance led by the Global South, emphasizing operational effectiveness and strategic innovation over mere power projection.
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