Tripoli, Libya – Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has suspended Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush and referred her to an investigatory committee, following revelations that Mangoush privately met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome last week, sparking outrage in Libya which has no formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Protesters gathered outside Dbeibeh’s Tripoli home demanding accountability, while others stormed the downtown Foreign Ministry building where Mangoush’s office is located. According to Israel’s statement, the two FMs discussed potential bilateral relations and preserving Jewish sites in Libya during the secret meeting facilitated by Italy’s FM. Libya’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged the controversial encounter but claimed it was unplanned with no agreements made, denying any normalization talks with Israel and reaffirming its support for Palestinians. Mangoush’s meeting with Israel despite longstanding anti-normalization laws threatens to further inflame tensions.

Shares 13 EmailIn a move that will lead to speculation about another Muslim country normalising relations with Israel, the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he met with his Libyan counterpart, Najla Al-Mangoush, in Rome last week. In a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Cohen described the meeting as “historic” and the first between Libyan and Israeli officials at such a high level. The Israeli minister said he discussed with Al-Mangoush “the great potential for the two countries from their relations, as well as the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jewry, which includes renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country.”The first-ever meeting between the Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers was arranged by their Italian counterpart Antonio Taiani. There is no comment yet from the Libyan authorities on the Israeli minister’s statements. But in 2021 Libya’s ruling presidential council suspended Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush for “administrative violations” and barred her from travelling.

ROME – Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush met last week in Rome, according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, marking the first known official talks between foreign ministers of the two countries. In remarks following the talks, Minister Cohen spoke positively about the significance of the meeting, calling it “a first step” in developing Israel-Libya ties. Minister Cohen situated the encounter within Israel’s broader diplomatic outreach efforts toward countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Libyan Foreign Ministry has not publicly commented on last week’s meeting in Rome. The talks were confirmed by former Israeli spokesman Ofer Gendelman and other Israeli officials.

Al-Mishri slammed the GNU after Israeli media reported al-Mangoush met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome last week – the first known talks between foreign ministers of the two countries. “The GNU has gone beyond all forbidden lines and it has become a duty to bring it down,” al-Mishri said in a statement. He pointed to information indicating there have been previous meetings between Libyan officials in this government and visits to occupied territories. The GNU, headed by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibah, has not commented publicly on the reported meeting with Israel. But it was confirmed by multiple Israeli officials.

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Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush (Photo: Israeli Foreign Ministry)Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with Libyan Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush in Rome last week, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed on Sunday. During this first meeting, Cohen and El Mangoush examined the possibilities for cooperation and relationship between the two countries, as well as preserving the heritage of Libyan Jewry. “The historic meeting with the Foreign Minister of Libya, Najla El Mangoush, is the first step in the relationship between Israel and Libya,” Cohen said. El Mangoush, the first woman to serve as Libya's foreign minister, represents the internationally recognized government of Libya. The Libyan foreign ministry did not comment on the meeting.

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Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen held a meeting with his Libyan counterpart in Italy last week, although the two countries do not have diplomatic relations, a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said on Sunday. The meeting between Mr Cohen and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush was reportedly organised by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani. No formal diplomatic agreement has been made between Libya and Israel throughout the history of both countries. Ms Mangoush belongs to Libya's Tripoli government, which is led by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibeh, known for his closeness with Italy. Libya might also face a crisis with its neighbouring countries of Tunisia and Algeria, whose foreign policies reject any kind of normalisation or formal relations with Israel.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with his Libyan counterpart, Najla Mangoush, last week in Italy, the Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday, marking the first-ever official meeting between the countries’ top diplomats. The two met to discuss the possibility of cooperation and the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya. “The size and strategic location of Libya provides enormous importance and enormous potential for the State of Israel to establish ties with it,” he added. While Israel and Libya have never had ties, there have long been reported contacts between Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and Israeli officials. In response to news of the meeting, Libyan presidential candidate Suleiman al-Bayoudi, who is running for the post in the UN-backed government, harshly critized the encounter.

Share Comment on this story CommentJERUSALEM — The Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers met secretly in Italy last week, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced Sunday, in what it said was the first-ever meeting between the country’s top diplomats. Choose your plan ArrowRight The meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Najla Mangoush, foreign minister of the Tripoli-based government, marked a small breakthrough for Israel’s government, whose hard-line policies toward the Palestinians have led to a cooling of its burgeoning ties with the Arab world. “I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for relations between the two countries,” Cohen said in a statement. He said the meeting was hosted by Italy’s foreign minister in Rome. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said talks also touched on possible Israeli assistance for humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management.

Photo Credit: Israel Ministry of Foreign AffairsIsrael’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush held talks last week in an historic first-ever meeting between foreign ministers from the two nations. Advertisement“The historic meeting with the Foreign Minister of Libya, Najla Mangoush, is the first step in the relationship between Israel and Libya,” Cohen noted Sunday in a statement to journalists. The first woman to serve as foreign minister, Mangoush began her political career in Libya following the ouster of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. She has served as Foreign Minister in the Tripoli government under the leadership of Prime Minister Alhamid Dabiba since the establishment of the consensus government in March 2021. Many Libyan Jews immigrated to Israel starting in the 1930s and in the first years after the establishment of the state.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush last week in Italy, the Foreign Ministry announces, marking the first-ever official meeting between the countries’ top diplomats. The two met to discuss the possibility of cooperation and the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya. Cohen calls the meeting “historic” and a “first step” in the creation of ties between the countries. The country split in the chaos that followed, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by rogue militias and foreign governments. While Israel and Libya have never had ties, there have long been reported contacts between Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam and Israeli officials.

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Following revelations by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen that he met with his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush last week in Italy, Libyan presidential candidate Suleiman al-Bayoudi calls to exclude the current internationally recognized prime minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh from the upcoming elections. In a post on his Facebook account, al-Bayoudi accuses al-Dbeibeh, leader of a unity government, of promoting normalization with Israel to curry American favor, and says that he has “nothing but Israel’s card to throw in the face of his opponents, after playing all his other cards to continue to remain in power… Israel is the last straw he’s grasping before he drowns.”“Relations with Israel can only be established after a national consensus has been reached within the framework of elected institutions, and with considerations to all relevant aspects, including the question of Libyan Jews,” he adds. The meeting between the two top diplomats in Rome, which took place under the auspices of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, was, according to presidential rival al-Bayoudi, “the confirmation that Dbeibeh intends to keep ruling without running for office.”Al-Bayoudi calls for al-Dbeibeh’s final exclusion from the elections, for which no date has been set yet but may take place by the end of this year, according to the UN Libya envoy. Khaled al-Mishri, a former head of Libya’s High State Council affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, also expresses his condemnation of the top-level meeting between Libya and Israel, suggesting that it is probably not the first one, and saying that the “Dbeibeh government has crossed all red lines and must be overthrown,” according to the news website al-Anwan al-Libiya. Meanwhile, Raphael Faelino Luzon, chairman of the Union of Libyan Jews, writes on his Facebook profile in Arabic that “a lot of work took place behind the scenes to reach this agreement,” sparking speculations among the Libyan press that he may have played a role in organizing the meeting.

The President of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso is expected to visit Libya soon within the framework of the role played by the African Union in supporting the political process in Libya, according to a statement by the Libyan Presidential Council on Sunday. Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council Moussa Koni met with Sassou Nguesso on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, and “discussed the process of working on national reconciliation, the mechanisms for achieving the stability that Libya needs, and its repercussions for the region and the entire continent.”“The Congolese president made it clear to Koni that there are arrangements for his upcoming visit to Libya within the framework of the role played by the African Union in this regard,” as per the council’s statement.