Israel’s ambassador in Addis Ababa has put official weight behind Ethiopia’s quest for Red Sea access. Avraham Neguise told the state-run Ethiopian News Agency that backing the push is “clear Israeli policy,” and that a stronger Ethiopian role could help regional security. Caasimada and Somaliland Standard both carried the line. Neguise did not name a port, a commercial corridor, or a naval facility. He did tie Ethiopia’s return to the sea to terrorism, piracy, and the wider Red Sea shipping economy that feeds Suez via Bab el-Mandeb.
Cairo answered on the same news cycle. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters that coastal states alone hold Red Sea ports, that no one may grant another country military maritime access, and that commercial access is a different question. Asharq Al-Awsat reported the remarks alongside expert claims of a political bargain linking Israel’s Somaliland recognition to Ethiopia’s coastline ambitions. Neguise did not confirm any quid pro quo. The Ankara Declaration still frames sea access under Somalia’s sovereignty, and Addis and Mogadishu have not announced a finished port deal. Djibouti still moves the bulk of Ethiopia’s seaborne trade.
Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party treats sea access as sovereignty theatre while war-risk premiums and Cape diversions already tax the Djibouti lifeline. The regime in Addis Ababa can collect diplomatic endorsements. It cannot wish away Egypt’s red line, Somalia’s sovereignty fight, or the insurance quotes that price Bab el-Mandeb risk into fuel and freight inland. Shipping desks will keep watching Houthi coastal guns and additional premiums, not ambassadorial press lines.
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