Libya government in crisis after Israel says the countries held ‘historic’ talks

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Israel’s surprise announcement of “historic” talks with Libya’s foreign minister sparked protests in Tripoli and the suspension of the foreign minister, throwing the Libyan government into crisis.

Abdul Hamid Debebe, the Tripoli-based prime minister of one of Libya’s rival governments, said Foreign Minister Najira Mangush was under “administrative investigation” for meeting his Israeli counterpart.

The unrest was sparked by an official statement from Israel’s foreign ministry on Sunday about a “historic” meeting between foreign ministers, calling it a “first step in relations” between Israel and Libya.

Demonstrations broke out in western Libya under the internationally recognized Government of National Accord on Sunday, with protesters burning tires and blocking streets.

The meeting in Rome last week was reportedly the first between Libyan and Israeli diplomats. Libya has historically strongly supported Palestine, does not recognize the state of Israel, and the two countries have no formal relations.

The Libyan foreign ministry said Mangush refused to meet with Israeli officials and that what happened was “an unprepared, random meeting during a meeting of the Italian foreign ministry”. The meeting did not involve any negotiations or agreements, the statement said.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Mangush discussed “possibility of cooperation” between the two countries, Israeli humanitarian and agricultural aid, and Jewish sites in Libya, according to a statement from Israel’s foreign ministry on Sunday.

On Monday, former Israeli diplomat and opposition leader sharply criticized Cohen for making the meeting public, claiming he was seeking short-term political gain while endangering the country’s diplomatic ties, especially with Muslim countries that have not yet normalized relations with the Jewish state. Diplomatic relations.

Opposition leader and former foreign minister Yair Lapid said: “Countries around the world are watching this irresponsible leak . . . and asking themselves: Is this a country we can have diplomatic relations with? A country you can trust?”

International Crisis Group North Africa director Ricardo Fabiani said the meeting between Mangush and Cohen was unlikely to happen without the “blessing” of the Libyan prime minister.

“My guess is that he’s been trying to improve his credibility in the US, but that obviously backfired and caused a backlash, so he protected himself by sacrificing Mangush,” he said. “His political survival is tied to what the international community will do when Libya’s rival parliament puts forward proposals for a new government.”

Libya is divided between rival governments in the west and east of the country. The country has been in turmoil since a 2011 uprising toppled dictator Muammar Gaddafi who had ruled for 41 years. Analysts say politics and government are increasingly controlled by armed militias that dominate the divided country.

Since 2020, Israel has normalized relations with Morocco, Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. Analysts say Libya’s hot-tempered politicians are well aware that improving relations with the Jewish state will help win over Washington.