Netanyahu: Unauthorized "secret diplomacy" is not allowed to cause trouble during the "meeting" between the foreign ministers of the two countries
In response to the controversy caused by the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Israel and Libya in Italy last week, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced on the 29th that all secret diplomatic activities and related information must be approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed on the 27th that the foreign ministers of Israel and Lebanon met for the first time during a meeting chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Italian capital Rome last week. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he talked to Libyan Foreign Minister Najala Mangush about the "great potential that bilateral relations may have.".
However, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's aforementioned statement was met with criticism from the Lebanese side.
The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently issued a statement, stating that Mangush refused to meet with any representative of the Israeli side. The Israeli side's so-called "meeting" was only an "unprepared, coincidental encounter" and did not involve "any discussion, agreement or consultation". However, the Israeli side attempted to refer to this event as a "meeting or dialogue".
The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its "complete and resolute opposition" to the normalization of relations between Libya and Israel, and emphasized that Mangush "reiterated Libya's position on the Palestinian issue in a clear and unambiguous manner.".
After the news of the meeting between the Israeli and Lebanese foreign ministers spread, protests erupted in Libya, where Israel refused to be recognized. Mangush was first suspended and later dismissed. However, the Israeli Times reported, citing analysts, that the two foreign ministers could not have held this unprecedented meeting without notifying their respective prime ministers.
The Associated Press reported from a Libyan Foreign Ministry official that Mangushi had gone to Türkiye.
Israel has not established diplomatic relations with most Arab countries, including Libya. Through the mediation of the US government, since 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have successively announced the normalization of relations with Israel. Previously, only Egypt and Jordan, two Arab countries, established diplomatic relations with Israel.