Libya's Prime Minister has taken action against his Foreign Minister, suspending her from her duties following her informal meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister. This meeting has caused controversy in Libya, a nation that strongly supports the Palestinian cause and does not officially recognize Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen described the meeting with Najla al-Mangoush as a significant initial step towards establishing relations. Israel has been actively working to strengthen its ties with Arab and Muslim-majority countries that have historically not recognized it.
However, Libya's presidential council, representing its three provinces, considers any normalization of relations with Israel to be illegal. The Speaker's Office in the parliament has accused Ms. Mangoush of treason, and the Prime Minister has initiated an investigation into her actions.
Israel's announcement of the meeting came as a surprise, as it was not widely known to be seeking relations with Libya, a nation that has strongly supported the Palestinian cause, particularly under former leader Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi's rule saw the expulsion of thousands of Jews from Libya and the destruction of numerous synagogues.
The level of detail in Israel's statement was unusual, possibly to preempt any potential denials from the Libyan side. Israel also acknowledged Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani for hosting the meeting in Rome.
According to an unnamed Israeli official, the meeting had been arranged in advance "at the highest levels" within Libya and lasted over an hour. In his statement, Cohen mentioned discussions about potential cooperation in humanitarian aid, agriculture, water management, and the preservation of Jewish heritage in Libya, which includes the restoration of synagogues and cemeteries.
Libya's foreign ministry countered this, stating that Ms. Mangoush had rejected a meeting with Israeli representatives, characterizing the encounter as an unplanned, casual interaction during a meeting at Italy's foreign affairs ministry. The ministry emphasized that no discussions, agreements, or consultations had occurred and reiterated its firm rejection of normalization with Israel.
Following news of the meeting, protests erupted in the capital, Tripoli, and some other cities. Demonstrators blocked roads, burned tires, and waved the Palestinian flag, although the protests seemed to be relatively small in scale.
Libya has experienced prolonged turmoil, with a divide between the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, a division that has persisted since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi 12 years ago.
The eastern coastal city of Tobruk is where General Khalifa Haftar leads the Libyan National Army (LNA), which supports the rival government.
Any potential agreement between Israel and Libya would face significant complexities due to this political fragmentation.
Israel has been actively seeking formal relationships with Arab League nations that it had no prior diplomatic ties with, ranging from moderate states to historical adversaries. Since 2020, Israel has signed US-brokered agreements, known as the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These agreements have drawn criticism from the Palestinian side, accusing the Arab signatories of betrayal.
On Sunday evening, Libya's Presidential Council sought "clarification" from the government regarding the meeting between the two foreign ministers. The Presidential Council holds the responsibilities of the head of state and oversees the nation's military.
A communication from the Presidential Council pointed out that the meeting between the foreign ministers does not align with Libya's foreign policy, does not represent Libya's core national principles, and is considered a breach of Libyan laws that prohibit normalization with the 'Zionist entity.'
Additionally, the communication called upon the government to uphold the law if the meeting indeed occurred.