The President of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, visited on Wednesday the “Save a Child’s Heart” center in Holon, where he met nine children from Somaliland who are currently receiving life-saving cardiac treatment at Wolfson Medical Center.
The Foreign Ministry stated that “one of the most significant examples of humanitarian cooperation between Israel and Somaliland began in 2004, when a representative in Ethiopia approached the Israeli embassy requesting assistance for his son, who suffered from a heart condition. Following the request, the Foreign Ministry connected the family with the Save a Child’s Heart organization, which provided the child with life-saving treatment in Israel.”
Somaliland president meets children who have undergoen heart surgery in Israel
The ministry added that it has since supported the project and helped bring 58 children from Somaliland to Israel for life-saving medical treatment.
It was further noted that this humanitarian cooperation began more than two decades before the diplomatic breakthrough that led to the establishment of formal relations between Israel and Somaliland, the historic visit by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to Somaliland in January 2026, and the opening of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem earlier this week.
The children, aged from three months to 18 years, arrived in Israel following a medical delegation to Somaliland initiated and funded by MASHAV in the Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with the Save a Child’s Heart organization earlier this month. During the visit, the president met the children, their families, and medical teams, and was briefed on the organization’s work and ongoing cooperation between Israel and Somaliland in pediatric cardiology.
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The children, aged from three months to 18 years, arrived in Israel following a medical delegation to Somaliland
(Photo: Shlomi Amsalem, GPO)
MASHAV Deputy Director General Eynat Shlein said: “MASHAV has been a long-standing partner supporting the important work of the Save a Child’s Heart organization. The health sector is a central pillar of cooperation between Israel and Somaliland, with an emphasis on capacity building and assistance.”
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The ministry added that it has since supported the project and helped bring 58 children from Somaliland to Israel for life-saving medical treatment
(Photo: Shlomi Amsalem, GPO)
Earlier on Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority, the Arab League, and terrorist organizations condemned the opening of Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem. In response, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “We are determined to continue advancing the partnership. No one will dictate to Israel or to Somaliland with whom to conduct diplomatic relations.”
Sa’ar met President Abdullahi on Monday, when they jointly inaugurated Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem. The Arab League strongly condemned the opening, calling it a “violation of international law” and rejecting any change to the city’s status quo. It also reaffirmed its commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and its full support for the territorial integrity of Somalia.
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The President of Somaliland visited on Wednesday the 'Save a Child’s Heart' center in Holon
(Photo: Shlomi Amsalem, GPO)
The terrorist organization al-Shabaab issued an unusual statement condemning the Somaliland president, saying he “does not represent Muslims,” accusing him of abandoning Islam and becoming the first Somalia-linked figure to “hand Jerusalem over to the occupying Jews,” and calling on Somaliland residents to rise against the government. The group also reiterated previous threats to target Israelis and Somaliland authorities over recognition of Somaliland.
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry also issued a condemnation, stating it “strongly denounces the so-called opening of the embassy by what is referred to as ‘Somaliland’ in occupied Jerusalem.” The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) joined the condemnations, rejecting the establishment of the embassy in Jerusalem and reaffirming its full support for the sovereignty of a united Somalia.
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Sa’ar met President Abdullahi on Monday, when they jointly inaugurated Somaliland’s embassy in Jerusalem
(Photo: Shlomi Amsalem, GPO)
Foreign Minister Sa’ar, addressing Israel–Somaliland relations during his meeting with the president on Monday, said: “There are indeed challenges in building relations between Israel and Somaliland. Unfortunately, many are trying to derail them — they will not succeed. We are both determined to continue advancing the partnership. No one will dictate to Israel or to Somaliland with whom to maintain diplomatic relations. The strength of this relationship is that it is not only between governments, but between peoples. It exists in the hearts of the people.”