Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wanted the meeting to be publicized straight away, but the Libyans asked for more time. People with knowledge of the talks told me that Libya wanted to delay the publication much longer than the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Why did the Israeli Foreign Ministry issue the statement in the first place? The officials added that Foreign Minister Mangoush briefed the prime minister directly after her return to Tripoli. On Aug. 28, Stephanie Hallett, the American chargé d’affaires in Israel, met with Foreign Minister Cohen and criticized Israel’s conduct.
