EXCLUSIVE: In 1st interview since historic trip to Somaliland, Israeli FM Gideon Sa’ar tells ALL ISRAEL NEWS why Jerusalem is world’s 1st government to recognize strategic African nation

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – Just over one year ago, Gideon Sa’ar gave me his first interview upon being named Israel’s new Foreign Minister.

And what an incredibly eventful year it’s been.

• Israel assassinated the top leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas and left the vast majority of their military capacities lying in smoldering ruins. 

• Israel and the U.S. attacked and destroyed Iran’s nuclear weapons program and did tremendous damage to Tehran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production facilities.

• The U.S. and Israel have worked hand in hand to successfully free every single live hostage from the Gaza Strip, return home all but one of the bodies of Israeli civilians and soldiers who were murdered by Hamas (we continue to pray for the soon return of the body of Ran Gvili), and establish a ceasefire in the coastal Gazan enclave that isn’t perfect but is giving most Israelis the opportunity to breathe again.

• What’s more, last November, the U.S. and Israel persuaded Kazakhstan to join the Abraham Accords. 

SA’AR HAS BEEN AT THE CENTER OF THE STORM

Through it all, Sa’ar has been at the center of the storm.

Once a fierce political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sa’ar has not only reconciled with Bibi but emerged as one of his most effective government ministers in one of the most highly consequential seasons of modern Israeli history.

In this context, I was grateful to sit down with the foreign minister for his first interview with any Israeli or American media outlet in 2026. 

Our full conversation will air tomorrow night in prime time – 9 p.m. Eastern Time – on THE ROSENBERG REPORT on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), the most watched Christian television network in the United States.

Sa’ar takes us inside the historic Trump-Netanyahu summit held at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach, Florida, resort home of President Donald J. Trump, widely referred to as the “Southern White House.”

And we covered a lot of ground.

WHAT DID THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND I DISCUSS IN OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW? 

Here are some of the questions I asked him.

• Do both Trump and Netanyahu agree that the latest intelligence confirms that Iran is trying to reconstitute its nuclear weapons program and its ballistic missile production capacity?

• Are Trump and Netanyahu about to launch massive new military attacks against Iran?

• Are the U.S. and Israel also preparing to directly attack – and possibly bring down – the Iranian regime? 

• Did Trump and Netanyahu agree that Israel can launch another massive bombing campaign to break the back of Hezbollah once and for all?

• Can you see a scenario in which – once free of Iranian and Hezbollah dominance – the Lebanese government and people decide to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel and join the Abraham Accords?

• And what’s next in Gaza – can Hamas really be disarmed – and is President Trump really about to let Turkish troops into Gaza against adamant Israeli opposition?

But first I had to ask Sa’ar about his historic trip yesterday to Somaliland.

It was his first interview with any US or Israeli media outlet since returning back to Jerusalem as the first Israeli official to publicly travel to the highly strategic country located on the Horn of Africa.

WHY DID ISRAEL CHOOSE TO BECOME THE FIRST GOVERNMENT IN THE WORLD TO RECOGNIZE SOMALILAND?

Here’s an excerpt from our conversation, slightly edited for clarity.

ROSENBERG: Foreign Minister, it's great to see you again. Thank you so much for the interview. We’ve got a lot to cover – the Trump-Netanyahu Summit, what they talked about, and where we're heading on Iran, on Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. But we have to start with the biggest news. You were just in Somaliland. Why did Israel decide to become the first country in the world to recognize the independence and the international legitimacy of Somaliland in the Horn of Africa?

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER GIDEON SA’AR: Sometimes you need to be first. When someone is doing the right thing, you need to do that. We've learned the history of Somaliland, which is already more than 34 years a functional, moderate democracy in a very important position in the world. But the most important thing is we didn't create Somaliland. Somaliland was created more than 34 years ago. As a matter of fact, when the British colonial rule was over, they gained their independence and 35 states – including the US and the UK – recognized Somaliland in 1960. Afterwards, they decided to unite with Somalia. But after a while, this didn't work….

ROSENBERG: And they quit their alliance with Somalia?

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER GIDEON SA’AR: Yes, after a huge massacre that was done against them. So, it is the just thing to do [to recognize their independence and sovereignty], and it is the right thing to do. So, we did it. Would it be more convenient to be the second or the third or the fourth?

ROSENBERG: No, I agree, it's good to be first. And I think most Americans, especially American Christians, may not realize or remember this: Somalia was the site of the Black Hawk Down disaster. It’s full of radical Islamism. You've got Iran there. You've got all kinds of terror groups there. You've got Russia. You've got China. But Somaliland is very different.

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER GIDEON SA’AR: Right. Let me tell you that Somaliland, for example, just a few days ago, supported what America did in Venezuela. How many African countries have done that, stating clearly their support? It's a pro-Western, friendly with Israel, moderate Muslim country. Why shouldn't we be in touch with them? No one can decide for us who to recognize and with whom to have diplomatic ties. So many countries in the world recognize the virtual State of Palestine.

But there's no such state.

ROSENBERG: And it’s a basket case. Even if a person supported a Palestinian state, it's a basket case, filled with terrorists and corruption.

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER GIDEON SA’AR:

Right – and in comparison, you have a real state named Somaliland that’s working. So, I hope that many countries will follow suit. And I think it's the right thing to do, the just thing to do, but also a wise thing to do. Because around this place [region], you have a lot of radical trends. So, you need to strengthen those who are really moderate, peace-seeking people.

ROSENBERG: Yes, especially since Somaliland is right across the Red Sea from Yemen, home of the Houthis terriers [terrorists], which have been firing ballistic missiles at us. Well, my only criticism – because I totally agree with the decision – is that you didn’t take us with you [to cover such a historic trip].

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER GIDEON SA’AR: Next time, but I couldn't this time. Our security agency was very tough with us. We had to do the trip secretly because we had very tough restrictions.

ROSENBERG: I'm mostly kidding, Gideon. I'm mostly kidding.

REACTIONS: NOT EVERYONE LOVES WHAT ISRAEL JUST DID – WHY NOT?

“Israel’s surprise December 26 recognition of Somaliland drew swift and harsh condemnation from regional actors, including Turkey and Qatar,” noted an analysis by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy (FDD), a Washington-based think tank.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned what he termed an ‘illegal and unacceptable’ step that would ‘drag the horn of Africa into destabilization,’ while Qatar called the move a violation of Somalia’s sovereignty, stating that Israel should instead recognize Palestinian statehood.”

But Mark Dubowitz, FDD’s CEO, strongly supports the Israeli move and the Sa’ar trip. 

“Sa’ar’s historic visit to Somaliland underscores that Israel is no less of a regional power than its adversaries in Qatar, Turkey, and Iran,” he said.

“Vulnerable nations and minorities across the Middle East, from the Druze to the Kurds to the Somalilanders – look to the one Jewish state amid a cluster of Arab and Islamic states as both an ally and a model for seeking and maintaining independence.”

Dubowitz added, “ Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, spoke of an ‘alliance of the periphery.’ Sa’ar’s presence in Somaliland is welcome confirmation that this goal remains intact.”

CONTEXT: WHAT WAS ISRAEL’S OFFICIAL STATEMENT IN DECEMBER IN ANNOUNCING ITS DECISION TO RECOGNIZE SOMALILAND?

On Dec. 26, 2025, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office issued this statement:

The Prime Minister announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Sa'ar, and the President of the Republic of Somaliland signed a joint and mutual declaration.

This declaration is in the spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump.

Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated the President of Somaliland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdallah, and praised his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace. The Prime Minister invited the President to pay an official visit to Israel.

The President thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for his historic declaration and expressed appreciation for the Prime Minister’s achievements in fighting terrorism and advancing regional peace.

The Prime Minister thanks Foreign Minister Sa’ar, the Head of Mossad David Barnea and the Mossad, for their contribution to today's development and wishes the people of Somaliland success, prosperity, and freedom.

The State of Israel plans to immediately expand its relations with the Republic of Somaliland through extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy.