Palestine Thanks Libya for Rejecting Israel
Protester holding Palestine's flag. Photo by Reuters.
Palestine expressed gratitude for Libya’s refusal to normalize ties with Israel after the Libyan government suspended its prime minister over a “casual” meeting the official had with her Israeli counterpart.
On August 28, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh suspended Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush and referred her to an investigation for meeting with Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen in Rome.
Normalizing ties between Israel and Arab countries was the brainchild of Former US President Donald J. Trump, who promised to deliver peace to the Middle East with the 2020 Abraham Accords. The US-brokered deal now includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. Long after the signing of the deal, Arab citizens rejected the prospect of peace with Israel.
In a statement reported by Andalous Agency, the Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry says Dbeibeh paid a visit to their embassy in Tripoli where he reiterated his “absolute support” for the Palestinian people in their “legitimate quest to regain their full rights” and for the establishment of their “independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
Commenting on the visit, the ministry said it “appreciates” the positions expressed by Dbeibeh.
The news of Mangoush’s meeting with the Israeli official sparked outrage among Libyans who took to the streets holding Palestinian flags and denouncing the attempt to mend ties with Israel.
Should any deal between Israel and Libya be brokered, it would be complicated by that political division, which emerged following Gaddafi’s overthrow 12 years ago.
Gen Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) runs the rival government in the eastern coastal city of Tobruk.
In recent years, Israel has pursued formal ties with Arab League countries with which it does not have official relations – from moderate states to historical foes.
Since 2020, it has signed US-brokered agreements known as the Abraham Accords normalising relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The agreements have been met with outrage by the Palestinians, who have accused the Arab signatories of betrayal.
