In detail, an Israeli official told Reuters today, Monday, that a meeting hosted by Italy between Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart last week was agreed upon in advance “at the highest levels” in Libya and lasted more than an hour.
The publication of news about the meeting on Sunday prompted the head of the national unity government in Libya, which does not recognize Israel, to suspend Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush from work.
This statement came less than 24 hours after an earlier announcement of Cohen and Manqoush’s meeting in Italy last week.
Libyan government response
- The head of the National Unity Government in Libya, Abdel Hamid al-Dabaiba, announced the suspension of the Libyan Foreign Minister, Naglaa al-Manqoush, as a precaution, and her referral for investigation.
- On Sunday evening, the Libyan Presidential Council asked Dabaiba to provide him with clarification regarding Mangoush’s meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister in Rome.
- This came in a letter sent by the Presidential Council to the Prime Minister of the National Government, according to a spokeswoman for the Council, Najwa Wahiba.
- Following the letter, it was decided to suspend Al-Mangoush from work as a precaution, and to refer her for investigation.
- Al-Dabaiba assigned the Minister of Youth, Fathallah Al-Zani, temporarily to run the work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Disclosure of the meeting
• The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement on Sunday that Minister Eli Cohen held a meeting with his Libyan counterpart in Italy last week.
• The meeting took place under the mediation of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Taiani.
What happened in the meeting?
“I spoke with the Secretary of State about the great potential for relations between the two countries, as well as the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jews, including the renovation of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country,” Cohen said in a statement.
“The two ministers discussed the historical relations between the two countries and the possibility of cooperation between the two countries, and Israeli aid in humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management,” the statement said.
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