Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, based in Tripoli, rejects the prospect of normalization of relations with Israel. This statement comes after the announcement of a secret meeting held in Rome between the Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Mangoush, and her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen.
During a council of ministers, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah declared: “(I affirm) our categorical and complete rejection of any form of normalization, and our total bias in favor of the Palestinian people and their just cause.”
Since the fall of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the UN-backed government in Tripoli and the rival administration in eastern Libya have remained hostile to Israel, according to Dbeibah, who added: “Despite whatever happened to our people, they still cling to their principles and their identity, and from here, I bear full responsibility for our government, no matter what mistakes were made and who was responsible.”
The statement by the Israeli foreign minister sparked angry demonstrations in several Libyan cities. Demonstrators stormed the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and set fire to the Prime Minister’s residence in Tripoli. Minister Najla Mangoush was dismissed from office.
