Libyan foreign minister fired after meeting with Israeli counterpart

Libya has been divided since 2014 between the UN-backed government of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah in Tripoli and an opposition administration in the east of the country.

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush. Photo: AFP

Private news channel Al-Ahrar quoted government sources as saying that Najla al-Mangoush was fired after a meeting last week in Rome with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

The Palestinian embassy in Tripoli said Mr Dbeibah also declared his "rejection of normalization of relations with Israel" and Libya's full support for the Palestinian people.

The meeting between the two foreign ministers sparked protests on Sunday evening in Tripoli and other cities, as demonstrators burned tires and waved Palestinian flags.

Before visiting the Palestinian embassy, Mr Dbeibah's administration said Ms Mangoush had been "temporarily suspended and subject to 'administrative investigation'". Mr Cohen himself confirmed the meeting was real.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry quoted Mr Cohen as saying he had discussed with Ms Mangoush "the importance of preserving the Jewish heritage in Libya, including the renovation of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country".

“Libya’s size and strategic location offer great opportunities for the State of Israel,” Cohen said. The meeting in Rome was chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

Ms Mangoush's whereabouts are unknown, after reports on social media that she had flown to Türkiye after the protests broke out.

Libya's Internal Security Agency (ISA) said she was not allowed to leave the country and was on a "no-fly list" pending an investigation.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry, in a statement, defended the meeting with Mr Cohen as a "chance and informal encounter".

Israel has normalized relations with several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, under US-backed deals reached in 2020 and known as the Abraham Accords.

Trung Kien (according to AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ngoai-truong-libya-bi-sa-thai-sau-cuoc-hop-voi-nguoi-dong-cap-israel-post262388.html