Libya’s premier suspends foreign minister over secret meeting with Israeli envoy

Israeli Foreign Ministry says historic meeting was held last week between foreign ministers of Israel, Libya

By Aydogan Kalabalik

TRIPOLI (AA) - Libyan Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh suspended Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush on Sunday after she secretly met in Rome with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

"It was decided to suspend Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush and to launch an investigation against her," said a decree published by the Government of National Unity.

On Saturday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said a “historic meeting” was held last week between the foreign ministers of Israel and Libya.

Pointing out that the meeting was the first between the foreign ministers of the two countries, it said they discussed the historical ties between the two nations, the legacy of the Libyan Jews and the possibility of cooperation between their countries.

Dbeibeh appointed Fathallah Zanni, the current youth minister, as interim foreign minister and referred Al-Mangoush to an investigation panel.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

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