Situated along the strategic Gulf of Aden, Somaliland offers Israel a critical diplomatic foothold in the Horn of Africa. But beyond ports, shipping lanes, and intelligence cooperation lies another, largely overlooked dimension of this emerging relationship: Jewish history. Long before the two countries recognized each other, Jews were already present in Somaliland, leaving behind traces that still whisper to us across the centuries. Yet the most intriguing dimension of Somaliland’s Jewish history is not found in ruins or place names but in people: specifically, the Yibir tribe. But beneath this social function lies a striking claim: Widespread Somali tradition holds that the Yibir are of Jewish origin.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 10, 2026 14:59 UTC