Hours after news broke of Eli Cohen's meeting with his Libyan counterpart, which he described as 'historic' and 'the first step' in establishing relations between the countries, some media reported that the Libyan Prime Minister suspended the Foreign Minister and ordered an investigation into her. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Sunday that Eli Cohen met and discussed with Najla Mangoush, his Libyan counterpart, last week in Italy. According to the Times of Israel, this was the first official meeting between senior diplomats from the two countries. The two sides met to discuss potential collaborations and the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that humanitarian aid and assistance from Israel in agriculture, water management, and other topics were also discussed in this meeting. Cohen referred to this meeting as 'historic' and 'the first step' in establishing relations between the countries. Libya once had a significant Jewish community, and when the State of Israel was established, many members of that community left Libya. The Times of Israel reports that it is believed no Jews currently live in Libya. Israel is seeking to normalize diplomatic relations with various Arab countries in the region. The development of relations between Israel and regional countries has raised concerns for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Before Herzog's speech in Congress, Biden and Netanyahu discussed Iran. Exclusive: The U.S. is examining the impact of sanctions on Iran's drone exports to Russia. The Israeli Foreign Minister stated that the revival of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran could be beneficial for Israel. About a quarter of Israel's defense exports went to Arab countries under the Abraham Accords.
First Official Meeting Between Israeli and Libyan Foreign Ministers Causes Trouble; Najla Mangoush Suspended
The first official meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush in Italy has led to Mangoush's suspension by the Libyan Prime Minister. This meeting, described as historic, aimed to discuss potential collaborations and the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya, raising concerns in Iran about Israel's growing diplomatic relations in the region.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush in Italy to discuss potential collaborations, marking the first official meeting between the two countries' senior diplomats. Following the meeting, Mangoush was suspended by the Libyan Prime Minister.
- This was the first official meeting between Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers.
- The meeting aimed to discuss collaborations and preserve Jewish heritage sites in Libya.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Israel has been working to normalize relations with Arab countries through the Abraham Accords, which has been met with resistance from some regional actors like Iran.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%