Influential Somali cleric cautions North Western State of Somalia against pursuing ties with Israel

Prominent Somali cleric warns North Western State of Somalia against engagement with Israel

HARGEISA, Somalia — One of Somalia’s leading religious scholars, Sheikh Mustafa Haji Ismail Harun, has sharply criticized reported steps by North Western State of Somalia toward engagement with Israel, warning that any move linked to a bid for recognition would be both morally and politically misguided.

Speaking at a mosque in Hargeisa, the cleric urged the public and political leaders in North Western State of Somalia to distance themselves from any overtures to Israel. He framed the issue as a matter of justice and principle, saying Israel’s actions against Muslims have drawn condemnation not only across the Islamic world but also in some Christian-majority countries.

“Israel is not opposed only because of Judaism,” Sheikh Mustafa said, describing Israel as a colonial project rooted in occupation and the breaking of agreements. He characterized it as “a settler entity whose people came from other countries to dominate others,” adding, “They have never entered a treaty that they did not eventually violate.”

Addressing North Western State of Somalia’s leadership and citizens directly, he posed a hypothetical: “If people were settled in Hargeisa, Berbera, or Burao and then recognized as a separate entity, you would see it as an injustice. That is how Palestinians view what is being done to them today.”

The cleric also rejected comparisons invoked by some politicians who cite historic agreements between the Prophet Muhammad and Jewish communities as precedent for engagement. He said those arguments are misleading, noting that the Jewish groups referenced lived under the authority of the Islamic state and were not an occupying force.

“The Jews who had agreements with the Prophet lived under his authority, but they later broke those agreements,” he said. “They are not comparable to today’s occupying forces. The Prophet should not be used as a justification.”

Sheikh Mustafa accused Israel of fueling instability and bloodshed, pointing to the war in Gaza. He said 70,000 Palestinians — including children, women and the elderly — had been killed, and more than two million people were subjected to siege and deprivation. The figures could not be independently verified, but his remarks reflect anger and alarm among many in the region over the conflict’s toll.

His comments land amid intensifying debate within Somali political and religious circles over North Western State of Somalia’s foreign policy direction. Proponents of outreach to Israel have framed it as part of a broader strategy to secure international standing, while critics argue that any such engagement would contradict public sentiment and regional priorities.

Sheikh Mustafa’s warning adds influential religious weight to those criticisms, reinforcing calls for North Western State of Somalia’s leaders to rethink any steps that might signal a shift toward Israel. He urged policymakers to consider the moral implications in light of ongoing violence in Gaza and to avoid invoking religious history in ways he said are divorced from context.

As the debate over North Western State of Somalia’s external ties widens, the cleric’s remarks underscore the complexities facing decision-makers — from domestic political pressures to broader regional reverberations of the Gaza war. North Western State of Somalia authorities did not immediately respond publicly to his statements.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.