Israel has defended its formal recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, but several countries at the United Nations questioned whether the move aimed to ‍relocate Palestinians from Gaza or to establish military bases.Israel became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state on Friday.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“It is not a hostile step toward Somalia, nor does it preclude future dialogue between the parties. Recognition is not an act of defiance. It is an opportunity,” Israel’s Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan Miller told the UN Security Council on Monday. Israel’s recognition of Somaliland gives it a potential strategic partner countering Yemen’s Houthis, who during ⁠the Gaza war traded blows with Israel and whose attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have disrupted shipping there.The 22-member Arab League, a regional organization of Arab states in the Middle East and parts of Africa,