suggest that a small number of Jews, estimated to be around 100-200 individuals, migrated to Somalia in the early 1900s as traders and settled in coastal towns such as Berbera, Zeila and Brava.
However, a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) published in 1949 stated that there were "no Jews left in Italian and British Somaliland".
[citation needed] While the history of traditional Jewish communities in Somalia is relatively well-known, little is understood about the crypto-Jews who practiced their faith discreetly.
The true extent of Jewish presence and influence in Somalia remains a topic of ongoing research and debate.
This move was praised by Hamas, with senior member Mousa Abu Marzook stating that "attitudes have value and meaning, and their country has respect and appreciation, and their people have dignity".
Izzat Al-Rishq, another member of Hamas, thanked the Somali president's position, which he said "reflects the authenticity of the brotherly Republic of Somalia in standing with Palestine and rejecting any normalization with an entity which occupies land and holy places."
[6][better source needed] Judaism has a rich history in the Somali peninsula, with both Ethiopian and southern Arabian strains present in the region.
While there is limited evidence of any Somali clans embracing Judaism during the pre-Islamic era, the conversion of individuals and families cannot be ruled out.
The Hebrew heritage of marginalized Somali clans, including the Yibir, can be traced back to the Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews.