Why recognizing Somaliland is so risky for Israel

In the decades since residents in Somalia’s northwest region broke away from the East African nation during its 1991 civil war, Somaliland, as the area is known, has existed largely in geopolitical stasis. It has enjoyed relative stability and transfers of power despite no global recognition — until now. On Friday, the Israeli government became the first United Nations member nation to officially recognize Somaliland as an “independent and sovereign state,” pledging in a press release to “immediately...