Israel’s Diplomatic Strategy in Africa: Dimensions of Presence, Mechanisms of Expanding Influence, and Its Impact on Regional Security – A Case Study of Somalia

Abstract

This study examines Israel’s diplomatic strategy in Africa by analyzing the dimensions of its presence, mechanisms of expanding influence, and their implications for regional security, with a particular focus on Somalia as a case study reflecting geopolitical transformations in the Horn of Africa. The significance of this topic stems from the growing international and regional competition in Africa over recent decades, accompanied by a reorientation of foreign policies toward strategically vital regions associated with global maritime routes, economic resources, and fragile security environments. These dynamics have created expanding opportunities for external actors to engage in the continent through multidimensional tools that extend beyond traditional diplomatic frameworks.

The study is guided by a central research problem that seeks to determine the nature of Israel’s diplomatic strategy in Africa and to assess the extent to which its expansion in the Horn of Africa—especially in Somalia—contributes to reshaping regional security dynamics. To address this problem, the research adopts a composite methodological approach combining the analytical-interpretive method to explain the motives and outcomes of Israeli external behavior, the case study method focusing on Somalia as an applied model of influence, and a comparative interpretive perspective that situates Israeli presence within the broader context of geopolitical competition involving other international and regional actors in Africa.

The study aims to achieve several key objectives, including analyzing the conceptual and theoretical foundations governing Israel’s diplomatic strategy in Africa, tracing the evolution of its political, security, and economic instruments of engagement, interpreting patterns of Israeli interaction in the Horn of Africa, assessing the implications for regional security balances and Red Sea security, and exploring potential future trajectories of Israel’s role in light of ongoing global transformations.

The research assumes that Israel’s orientation toward Africa is driven by security-geopolitical considerations related to expanding its strategic sphere and reinforcing national security beyond traditional geographic boundaries. It further posits that Israeli influence relies on an integrated deployment of diplomatic, security, economic, and technological tools, that the Horn of Africa represents a strategic محور within this vision, and that Israeli expansion contributes—at varying degrees—to the reconfiguration of regional security balances amid complex interactions with other international and regional powers and differing levels of political and security fragility across the region.

The study concludes that Israel’s presence in Africa reflects a shift from limited relations toward long-term strategic engagement linked to maritime security and geopolitical competition. Its impact on regional security remains contingent upon the future nature of international and regional interactions. Accordingly, this research contributes to enriching Arabic academic literature in the fields of strategic and African studies and provides an analytical framework for understanding transformations in global competition and their implications for the stability of the Horn of Africa.