The Libyan Prime Minister, Abdulhamid Dbeibé, suspended the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Mangush, for having met in Italy with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, despite the non-existent relations between the two countries.
Libya does not recognize the State of Israel and is a strong ally of the Palestinian cause.
The suspension of the minister will be accompanied by an investigation to determine the circumstances of what happened, according to the Libyan portal Al Wasat, quoted by the Europa Press agency.
The news of the meeting, revealed by the Israeli government, generated a chorus of criticism from various Libyan institutions and strong protests that reached the capital, Tripoli.
The Israeli government announced that the meeting, which took place a few days ago in Italy, marks a “historic step” in relations between the two countries.
The meeting, meanwhile, was confirmed by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which described it as “informal”, and in which the minister “clearly and unequivocally defended” the Palestinian cause.
The Libyan Prime Minister expects to receive the results of the investigation within three days. The Youth Minister, Fatalá Abdul Latif Al Zani, will occupy the Foreign Affairs portfolio on a provisional basis.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in June 1967, along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
East Jerusalem was subsequently annexed, a decision never recognized by the international community.
The Palestinians intend to retake the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and reclaim East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.
Source: TSF
