Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday over Israel's recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland and his talks with US President Donald Trump without a clear plan for Gaza.
Netanyahu announced Israel's recognition of Somaliland as an independent state on Friday, a move Lapid said did not receive approval from either the government or the security cabinet.
"Israel announced it was the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state," Lapid said in a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee, as cited in a video published by the Knesset Channel.
"This was not a decision of the government or the security cabinet. It was a decision of the prime minister's office," he added.
Lapid said several countries, including states in the region, condemned the recognition, adding that the Israeli move reflected the absence of a coherent foreign policy.
Israel became the world's first country to recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, drawing condemnation from Türkiye, a close ally of Somalia, and countries in Africa and the Middle East, among others.
Global backlash grows over Israel's recognition of Somaliland, with many countries condemning the move as a violation of international law and a threat to regional stability.
Somaliland, which has lacked official recognition since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, operates as a de facto independent administrative, political, and security entity, with the central government struggling to assert control over the region and its leadership unable to secure international recognition of independence.
Lapid also criticized Netanyahu for travelling to meet Trump on Monday night without presenting an Israeli vision for Gaza.
"When an Israeli prime minister meets a US president, we wish him success," he said. "But Netanyahu is arriving without a clear vision for Gaza. When you don't have a vision, others decide for you."
Lapid said that if Israel does not present a plan for Gaza, other actors, including the US and Hamas, will shape the outcome.
Netanyahu arrived in Florida late Sunday for a visit expected to last five days. The trip began with a preparatory meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the public broadcaster KAN.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump on Monday night to discuss several issues, including Iran and the Gaza ceasefire agreement, with talks expected to focus on moving to a second phase of the deal.
The second phase includes forming a temporary technocratic committee to administer Gaza, reconstruction efforts, the creation of a peace council, the establishment of an international force, additional Israeli military withdrawals, and Hamas' disarmament.
The ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, halting two years of Israeli war that has killed over 71,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 171,200 others since October 2023.
