Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli has called for Israel to deepen its strategic relationships with Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates, citing growing regional security concerns and changes in defense cooperation across the Middle East.
Chikli’s remarks, reported by international outlet Clash Report, came as Israel expressed concern over what he described as a shifting regional alignment involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.
He specifically urged Israel to strengthen ties with what he described as key partners in the region, including Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE.
“The Mecca Alliance is a very dangerous and very concerning development,” Chikli said, according to Clash Report.
The minister was referring to growing cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, which have increasingly coordinated their positions on regional security and defense issues.
Chikli said Saudi Arabia already had a defense agreement with Pakistan but expressed particular concern over Riyadh developing closer strategic ties with Türkiye, which he characterized as increasingly opposed to Israel.
Chikli warned that closer Saudi-Turkish cooperation could have significant consequences for regional security, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean and around Syria.
His comments reflect Israel’s broader concerns about the emergence of new security partnerships that could alter the regional balance of power.
Israel’s relations with Türkiye have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly over the war in Gaza and Ankara’s increasingly critical position toward the Israeli government.
The deterioration has added another layer to the wider strategic competition involving Israel, Türkiye and other regional powers.
Against this backdrop, Chikli argued that Israel should strengthen relationships with countries and territories it considers strategically important.
He specifically highlighted Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE, all of which occupy positions of importance in the Red Sea, Gulf and Eastern Mediterranean security environment.
Somaliland is particularly significant because of its location along the Gulf of Aden, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime routes connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean.
Israel has shown increasing interest in developments around the Red Sea because of threats to commercial shipping and the wider security implications of instability in Yemen.
The UAE has also become an important Israeli partner since the two countries established diplomatic relations under the 2020 Abraham Accords.
Greece and Cyprus, meanwhile, have developed increasingly close security and economic relationships with Israel, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Chikli’s remarks therefore appear to reflect a broader Israeli strategy of strengthening partnerships with states and territories positioned along strategically important maritime and geopolitical corridors.
However, closer Israeli engagement with Somaliland could carry significant diplomatic implications.
Somalia considers Somaliland part of its sovereign territory, while Somaliland has sought international recognition as an independent state since declaring its separation from Somalia in 1991.
Israel formally recognized Somaliland in December 2025, a move that generated strong opposition from Somalia and added a new dimension to the long-running dispute.
The comments also come as regional powers continue to reshape their defense relationships. Saudi Arabia’s expanding cooperation with Türkiye and Pakistan could potentially create a more coordinated security bloc, while Israel is seeking to reinforce its own network of strategic partnerships.
For Israel, the challenge is increasingly how to maintain strategic influence while navigating competing alliances across the Middle East, the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
Chikli’s call for closer relations with Somaliland, Greece, Cyprus and the UAE underscores the growing importance Israel places on partnerships beyond its immediate borders.