Less than 24 hours after Israel announced on Sunday about a secret meeting in Rome between Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush, the latter was dismissed from her position by Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

The announcement of the meeting, which according to Israel, was coordinated with Tripoli beforehand, led to widespread riots in Libya, spurring the government to deny the meeting and suspend Mangoush, who subsequently fled the country to Turkey due to “safety concerns.”

Israel’s Channel 13 News reported that Israeli government sources confirmed that the publication of the meeting was coordinated with Tripoli but in the wake of the riots, the Libyan government quickly “reconsidered,” suspending Mangoush and reporting that there were no “discussions, agreements, or consultations” at the meeting. It also claimed that the “meeting” happened by chance and was not planned and that Libya continues to reject normalization with Israel.

Cohen announced on Sunday that “the historic meeting with the Foreign Minister of Libya” was hosted by Italy’s foreign minister in Rome and that it was “the first step in the relationship between Israel and Libya. I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for relations between the two countries.”

Cohen added that they discussed the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jewry, including renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country.

According to reports, the possibility of Libya normalizing ties with Israel was first raised in a meeting between Libyan PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and CIA Director William Burns in the latter’s visit to Tripoli in January. Burns suggested that Dbeibah’s government follow in the footsteps of the four Arab countries that normalized ties with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords. Dbeibah responded favorably to the idea but was concerned about public opposition to the step.

In 2021, the son of the Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, who is considered the most powerful man in the country, paid a secret visit to Israel and explored the possibility of Libya normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for security and intelligence assistance.

In 2022, Libyan and Saudi media outlets reported that Mossad head Dovid Barnea and Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Mohammed Al-Dabaiba met in Jordan for talks on normalization.

According to Libyan law, establishing contact with Israel is considered a criminal offense with violators subject to up to nine years in prison.

Libya has been in a state of crisis since the overthrow of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, with the country divided between Dbeibah’s government in Tripoli, which is supported by the West, and the rival government in Benghazi in the east.

​(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)