Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wanted the meeting to be publicized straight away, but the Libyans asked for more time. The Libyans rejected it and Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush was fired, bringing an end, for the moment, to the diplomatic channel with Israel. Why did the Israeli Foreign Ministry issue the statement in the first place? “A journalist had info on the meeting and was about to publish it, so we had no choice,” Israeli officials told JNS. Yesterday, Stephanie Hallett, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Israel, met with Foreign Minister Cohen and criticized Israel’s conduct.

Source: Libya Today August 29, 2023 16:33 UTC