Dismissed Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush denied that the motive behind the meeting she held with the former Foreign Minister of Israel, Eli Cohen, in Italy was to pave the way for Libya's normalization with Israel.
Al-Mangoush confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeera's Atheer podcast that she was assigned by the Prime Minister of Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, to hold the meeting to discuss strategic issues related to the security and stability of the Mediterranean, while announcing that her departure from Tripoli was a political decision, adding that "she is ready for any investigation that reveals the truth of the meeting that sparked a storm of controversy in Libya."
She said that she was accused of normalization of relations with Israel and that Libyans did not hear the truth nor did they receive the full picture of what happened, as she was prevented, according to her confirmation to Al Jazeera, from making any statement that would reveal the truth of what happened, and she was asked to leave Tripoli on the basis of her return after days, but her absence lasted for over a year.
Al-Mangoush stressed that at the beginning of the meeting with Cohen, she criticized the extremist policies of the Israeli government and defended the rights of the Palestinians. She indicated that the meeting with Cohen aimed to discuss sensitive strategic issues of concern to Libya, including the stakes related to resources in the Mediterranean Basin, specifically gas and maritime borders, in light of recent discoveries, and to "dot the i's and cross the t's regarding those resources."
She pointed out that it was impossible to hold the meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister, after October 07 and the Israeli war on Gaza, as she stressed that the Palestinian Cause was sensitive to the Libyan people and that they were raised respecting it. She talked about the precise details of the content of the meeting with Cohen, which she reiterated throughout the interview that it was coordinated with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, whom she criticized for not managing the crisis wisely since the Israeli media leaked the meeting.
"The issue would have been resolved simply if Dbeibah had spoken directly, addressed the Libyan people and revealed the truth." She said, and when asked why she did not reveal the truth directly, Al-Mangoush said that Dbeibah refused this step.