Al-Mangoush breaks silence on controversial Israel meeting

Former Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush has denied claims, in a recent Al Jazeera interview, that her controversial meeting with then-Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome last August was aimed at normalising relations between the two countries.

In the exclusive interview with Al Jazeera’s Atheer podcast, aired this month, Al-Mangoush revealed that Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah had authorised the meeting to address Mediterranean security and stability concerns. She characterised her subsequent departure from Tripoli as politically motivated and expressed willingness to face any investigation into the matter.

The meeting, which took place in Rome in August 2023, marked the first known public engagement between senior Libyan and Israeli officials. Its revelation sparked widespread protests across Libya, leading to Al-Mangoush’s immediate dismissal from her position.

The former minister disclosed that she was barred from making public statements about the meeting, which triggered significant unrest in several Libyan cities. What was intended to be a brief departure from Tripoli following the controversy has extended into a year-long absence, according to Al-Mangoush.

During the interview, she emphasised that she confronted Cohen about his government’s hardline policies and advocated for Palestinian rights at the outset of their discussion. The primary focus, she maintained, was on strategic matters concerning Libya, particularly regarding Mediterranean resource allocation and maritime borders amid recent discoveries.

Al-Mangoush highlighted the meeting’s timing, noting it occurred before the October 7 events and subsequent conflict in Gaza. She stressed the Libyan people’s historical support for the Palestinian cause and detailed the meeting’s contents, repeatedly asserting that Prime Minister Dbeibah had coordinated the engagement.

She criticised Dbeibah’s handling of the fallout after Israeli media exposed the meeting. “The crisis could have been resolved if Dbeibah had addressed the Libyan people directly with the truth,” Al-Mangoush stated, adding that her attempts to speak publicly about the matter were blocked by the Prime Minister.

The revelations have added another layer to the ongoing political tensions in Libya, raising questions about diplomatic transparency and decision-making processes within the Government of National Unity. The Libyan government has yet to respond to Al-Mangoush’s latest statements.