Title: Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush Suspended Over Meeting with Israeli Counterpart
Subtitle: Prime Minister orders investigation into the controversial meeting sparking anger in Libya
Date: [Current Date]
[City], [Country] – Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush has been suspended from her role by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh following her recent meeting with Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen. The meeting sparked outrage in the nation, prompting the prime minister to form an investigative panel to probe Mangoush’s actions.
The controversy began after a press release issued by Jerusalem announced and celebrated the meeting, which took place in Italy last week. However, Libya’s Foreign Ministry issued a hasty statement denying that any formal meeting had occurred. The conflicting statements raised questions about the coordination between the two countries and whether there was a sudden change in Libya’s stance due to domestic pressure.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the recent developments. In its earlier statement, the ministry stated that the meeting between Cohen and Mangoush discussed potential cooperation, the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya, and other topics such as humanitarian aid, agriculture, and water management.
In response, Libya’s Foreign Ministry clarified that the meeting was an unofficial, unprepared, and casual encounter during a meeting with the Italian foreign minister. It emphasized Libya’s rejection of normalization with Israel and its commitment to the Palestinian cause.
This setback appears to undermine the notion of progress in relations between the two countries, as suggested by the Israeli declaration. The suspended foreign minister’s fate remains uncertain pending the outcome of the investigation.
Libya has been embroiled in chaos since the toppling and killing of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country split into rival administrations, each supported by rogue militias and foreign governments. Mangoush represents the UN-recognized government based in Tripoli.
While Israel and Libya have never had official diplomatic ties, there have been reported contacts between Israeli officials and Saif al-Islam, son of the late Muammar Gaddafi. The Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar also reportedly held a secret meeting with Israeli officials in 2021, proposing diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for Israeli support.
The controversial meeting has garnered criticism from Libyan presidential candidate Suleiman al-Bayoudi, who accused the prime minister of promoting normalization with Israel to gain favor with the United States. Al-Bayoudi called for the exclusion of Prime Minister al-Dbeibeh from the upcoming elections, warning of the risks of violence and disintegration if political divisions persist in Libya.
As tensions continue to rise in Libya, the situation highlights the challenges faced in establishing diplomatic relations between countries with historical conflicts and differing geopolitical interests. The outcome of the investigation into Mangoush’s actions will likely have significant implications for Libya’s foreign relations moving forward.
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