Israeli Envoy Says Ethiopia Deserves a Port, Backs Peaceful Quest for Red Sea Access – Abraham Negussie calls Ethiopia’s maritime ambitions “essential” for regional justice and economic sustainability.
Israel’s ambassador to Ethiopia, Abraham Negussie, has publicly backed Ethiopia’s demand for access to the Red Sea — but only through “peaceful and diplomatic means.” While the tone may sound balanced, make no mistake: this is a diplomatic bombshell.
For years, Ethiopia’s quiet but persistent campaign to reclaim a maritime outlet has simmered beneath the surface, causing friction with Eritrea, Somalia. Now, with a major regional and Western ally like Israel speaking out in its favor, the stakes have just been raised.
Negussie’s remarks are more than just diplomatic niceties. When he says, “a country with the largest number of population should not be deprived of its right to access sea,” he is endorsing a controversial geopolitical philosophy: that demographics justify territorial or strategic claims. That sentiment will not sit well in Asmara.
It’s no secret that Ethiopia’s ambitions may center around Somaliland’s Berbera Port — a critical node in Red Sea logistics and currently the centerpiece of a growing UAE-Somaliland-Israel axis. Could Israel now be playing both sides? Supporting Ethiopia’s diplomatic path to a port while cementing economic and security ties with Somaliland?
Either way, this is a calculated signal to the world that Ethiopia’s rise as a regional superpower should not be obstructed by colonial-era borders. With Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed insisting that sea access is “existential,” and now with public backing from an Israeli envoy, the Horn could be headed for a strategic shake-up.
The message is clear: Ethiopia’s maritime hunger is now backed not just by ambition, but by international endorsement. The question is, will Eritrea see this as diplomacy—or provocation? And will Somaliland, with its strategic ports and growing international recognition campaign, be forced to choose between appeasing its powerful neighbor?
Either way, the regional silence just got broken. And the ripples are coming fast.
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