The Israeli channel, i24 News, revealed on Sunday a meeting between the Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government, Najla Al-Mangoush, and the Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, in Italy last week. The channel described it as a historic meeting where the possibility of cooperation and building relations between the two countries and preserving the Libyan Jewish heritage were discussed.
The Israeli Foreign Minister stated that “the meeting is a first step in relations between Libya and Israel,” emphasizing that “the size and strategic location of Libya give great importance and immense potential to relations with Israel.” He also confirmed that he discussed with Al-Mangoush the great potential for relations between the two countries and the importance of preserving the Jewish heritage in Libya, including the restoration of Jewish churches and cemeteries in Libya.
This angered and was rejected by the Libyan people, who protested with slogans against normalization with the Zionist entity, demanding the overthrow of the National Unity Government and its Minister, Al-Mangoush.
Most of the sovereign institutions in the Libyan state issued statements rejecting the meeting of Minister Al-Mangoush with her Israeli counterpart, considering it as not representing the sovereignty of the Libyan state in any way and as an individual decision that must be held accountable. They placed full responsibility on all those who contributed to this act in their statement.
Afterwards, the Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, issued a decision suspending his Foreign Minister from her duties and referring her for investigation.
Some social media pages circulated that the Foreign Minister of the National Unity Government, Al-Mangoush, left Tripoli heading to Turkey, with this page claiming that the internal security agency facilitated her travel. However, the agency responded on its official page, denying this information and confirming that she did not pass through the official channels at Mitiga Airport, whether in the regular, private, or presidential lounges.
Furthermore, today, the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government visited the headquarters of the State of Palestine’s embassy in Tripoli to express Libya’s supportive stance towards the Palestinian people and their just cause, reaffirming his rejection of any normalization with the occupying state and rejecting the actions of the former Foreign Minister, emphasizing that what she did does not represent the government of Libya or its people.