'Harar Autonomous Jewish State' Was to Have Seaport Through Somaliland: Ethiopian Scholar
'Harar Autonomous Jewish State' Was to Have Seaport Through Somaliland: Ethiopian Scholar
Israel recognizing Somaliland's statehood at the international level has historical significance in this context, policy advisor and economist, Dr. Costantinos Berhutesfa, told Sputnik Africa.
What exactly is the "Harar Autonomous Jewish State?"
▪It is a plan presented to Emperor Haile Selassie through a body calling itself the "Council of the Harar Autonomous Jewish State," via a letter written on January 17, 1936.
▪The goal of the plan was to establish an autonomous Jewish administration under Ethiopian sovereignty in the Harar region for European Jews who suffered persecution under the Nazi German regime.
▪A key component of the plan was access to the sea, which involved connecting with Somaliland, then a British colony, to grant the territory ownership of a port.
According to Dr. Berhutesfa, the council had a plan to unite Harar and Somaliland.
"They wanted to unite Harar and Somaliland. This would cover an area of about 60,000 to 70,000 square miles. The Harar Council explicitly sought political independence from Ethiopia. It was to be a self-governing territory under Ethiopian sovereignty, administered by an elected Jewish body."
Israel was among the first to recognize Somaliland when it briefly declared its independence in 1960, noted the expert.
"Israel is now saying, 'We were the first to recognize Somaliland. Somaliland has remained a democratic and stable country for 30 years. Therefore, we are recognizing it.'"
Historical documents indicate that Emperor Haile Selassie, through his agent Blata Efraim Tewolde Medhin, rejected the request, responding, "...we cannot grant a large part of the country's sovereign territory to a group coming from another country."
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