TRIPOLI: The Prime Minister of Libya Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah fired Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush on Monday to bring down the political temperature following her meeting with Israel’s foreign minister.
The protests erupted across Libya soon after the meeting and then the country’s Presidential Council sought a clarification from the prime minister as Libya has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Mangoush had earlier said her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome was unplanned and informal, however, an Israeli official told the media it was approved at the highest level and lasted for two hours.
Protestors in Libya demand FM resignation
A protest demonstration was held in front of Libya’s Foreign Ministry late Sunday causing some damage outside the building. The protestors were demanding resignation from the foreign minister over her meeting with the Israeli counterpart.
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In a letter written to the Prime Minister, Libya’s Presidential Council said the recent development does not reflect the foreign policy of Libya and is a clear violation of Libyan laws, which criminalize normalization of ties with the Zionist state.
Mangoush’s office had tried to clarify its position saying she had declined a request for an official meeting with Cohen, but that they had met during an unplanned encounter while meeting Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
