"Anti-Israel protests erupted in Mogadishu on Thursday after Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar arrived in Hargeisa on Tuesday, a historic visit following Israel’s formal recognition of Somaliland’s independence in December. The move has sparked intense political tensions across Somalia, with footage showing crowds of demonstrators chanting slogans against Israel and holding placards reading messages such as ‘Our position is unity’ and ‘Any attempt by Israel to violate Somalia’s unity and sovereignty is a blatant disrespect for international laws and norms.’ "We come together here against Jewish interference inside Somali territory," said protester Yusuf Adam Ibrahim, who expressed his outrage at the diplomatic development. Ibrahim accused Israel of trying to "divide and split our nation." He warned that the public is growing weary of peaceful demonstrations, stating that young men are "ready to put down the pens and take guns" to defend the country. Omar Farouk, Chairman of the Youth League of Banadir, bridged the local crisis with broader regional grievances. "In the past, we were against what the Jewish enemy was doing to our Muslim brothers in Palestine," Farouk said. "Now, for them to come to our country is unacceptable. We are ready to fight them, and we are ready to say no." During the one-day trip, Sa’ar met with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi and other top officials for the first time since Israel’s official recognition of Somaliland. Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland, a region that declared independence from Somalia in 1991. The decision has drawn condemnation from the Arab League, which called it an attack on Arab national security, and backing for Somalia from Russia, China, and Egypt at the UN Security Council."