The Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported on Monday that Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh held talks with the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, in 2022 to discuss practical steps to normalize relations between Libya and Israel. Prime Minister Dbeibeh, the head of the internationally recognized government, rules from Tripoli over the western party of the country, while the east is under the control of military strongman Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The Dbeibeh-Barnea conversation was reportedly initiated by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, two Arab countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel, under American supervision. AdvertisementHaftar’s son reportedly visited Israel in late 2019 and offered to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries in return for Israeli support. The US State Department was reportedly furious with the announcement of the Rome meeting, which was supposed to take place in secrecy.
