Najla Mangoush breaks silence on her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister
Libya’s suspended Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush has broken her silence over her controversial meeting with then-Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, saying it was coordinated by the Libyan government to discuss Mediterranean maritime issues.
Speaking for the first time since the incident on Al Jazeera’s Atheer podcast, Mangoush said the secret meeting in Rome was arranged at her government’s request and she was tasked with delivering a specific message.
The meeting was coordinated between the Government of National Unity and Israel, Mangoush said, adding that discussions centered on Libya’s security and stability, particularly regarding territorial waters in the Mediterranean.
The former minister defended her year-long silence, saying the government denied her requests to address the media. She expressed surprise at being asked to leave Libya without investigation, revealing that officials arranged her departure to Turkey via private aircraft.
She claimed to have confronted Cohen about Palestinian rights during the meeting, saying she conveyed the Libyan people’s supportive stance towards Palestinians and rejection of Israeli policies.
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.
Najla 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.
