Friday 14, March 2025 {HMC} The Israeli and Ethiopian governments met Wednesday in Jerusalem and discussed boosting counterterrorism cooperation against Al-Shabaab in Somalia and groups in the Middle East.
Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, and his Ethiopian counterpart Gedion Timotheos also revealed an increasing link between Al-Shabaab and the Houthi rebels in Yemen- both considered threats to regional security- at a joint media event after their talks.
“Terrorism is a shared threat to our peoples,” said Sa’ar. “We are witnessing radical Islamic terror in our regions-Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, jihadists in Syria, and now Al-Shabaab in Africa.
Terror must be permanently eradicated.” The Sa’ar pointed to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab’s connections with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have escalated attacks in the Middle East since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel.
The Houthis have targeted Israeli shipping lanes and disrupted global trade routes, further escalating tensions. “Ethiopia plays a number of critical roles in combating Al-Shabaab.” Sa’ar explained that Al-Shabaab “collaborates with the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, further destabilizing the region.
Since October 7, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli civilians, disrupted global trade routes, and now threaten to block Israeli ships from the Red
