By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli opposition on Monday criticized Foreign Minister Eli Cohen for announcing his first-ever public meeting with his Libyan counterpart Najla Al-Mangoush.
On Sunday, Cohen said the meeting with his Libyan counterpart explored the possibilities for cooperation and relations between the countries and the preservation of the heritage of Libyan Jews.
But the Libyan Foreign Ministry said the meeting was “informal” and “impromptu” and it did not involve any discussion, agreement or consultation.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, citing unnamed Israeli officials, said the meeting was “coordinated at the highest level” between the two countries and took place with the knowledge of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid termed Cohen's announcement of the meeting "amateurish", which proves that the Israeli government "can't be trusted to handle sensitive diplomatic issues."
“The global community is looking this morning at Israel’s irresponsible leak of the Libya foreign minister’s meeting, and asking themselves: is this a country with which we can conduct foreign relations? Is this a country one can trust?,” Lapid wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Former Defense Minister and head of the National Unity Party Benny Gantz accused the Israeli government of seeking public relations "with zero responsibility and forward thinking."
Israel’s foreign relations "are a sensitive and serious matter, certainly when it comes to ties with Arab countries and certainly those with which we do not have official relations," Gantz said.
The first-ever public meeting between the Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers has triggered a storm of anger and protests in Libya.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on Monday sacked Al-Mangoush following her meeting with the Israeli foreign minister, a Foreign Ministry source told Anadolu on Monday.
Libya does not recognize Israel and does not have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv. It is forbidden by law to have 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.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar