Libya's Dbeibah sacks minister over 'secret meeting' with top Israeli envoy

The head of Libya's Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has suspended the Foreign Minister Najla Elmangoush and referred her to investigation, a statement said early on Monday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Sunday he met with the Libyan Foreign Minister for the first time in history.

In a statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Cohen described last week’s meeting held in Rome with Najla Elmangoush as "historic".

The top Israeli diplomat said the meeting with the Libyan foreign minister “is the first step in the relationship between Israel and Libya.”

"The size and strategic location of Libya give ties with it enormous importance and enormous potential for the State of Israel," Cohen added.

The meeting aimed to examine "possibilities for cooperation and relations between the countries and the preservation of the heritage of Libyan Jewry," Cohen said.

The preservation "includes renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country,” he added.

No diplomatic relations

The first-ever meeting between the Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers was arranged by their Italian counterpart Antonio Taiani.

"We are working with a series of countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia with the aim of expanding the circle of peace and normalisation of Israel," Cohen said.

There was no comment yet from the Libyan authorities on the Israeli minister’s statements. Libya does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Six Arab countries have diplomatic ties with Israel starting with Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020.