LIBYA’S PM has ‘suspended’ his foreign minister Najla al-Mangoush after she met with her Israeli counterpart, in secret, despite the fact that Libya is a strong backer of the Palestinian cause, and does not recognise Israel, a policy that has 100% support in Libya.
Knowledge of the meeting has already sparked mass protests throughout Libya. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, has said the ‘historic’ meeting was ‘the first step’ in establishing Israeli relations with Libya.
Libya’s presidential council, which represents its three provinces, said it was illegal to normalise relations with Israel. The Speaker’s Office in parliament accused Najla al-Mangoush of grand treason, and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has referred her for investigation.
In fact it was Israel that announced that the talks had taken place and identified and acknowledged the Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani for hosting the meeting in Rome. On Monday, an Israeli official confirmed to the BBC that the meeting was planned in advance and was not a chance encounter, like Libya’s foreign ministry had portrayed it.
The official stressed that the two sides agreed what would be emphasised in the published statement, which he said had been due to be published on Monday but was released on Sunday after a leak to the Israeli media.
In his statement, Cohen said he met al-Mangoush last week on the sidelines of a summit, and that they discussed ‘the great potential for the relations’ between Israel and Libya.
Contradicting Cohen’s statement, Libya’s foreign ministry said al-Mangoush had rejected a meeting with representatives from Israel, and what had taken place was ‘an unprepared, casual encounter during a meeting at Italy’s foreign affairs ministry’.
A statement also said the interaction did not include ‘any discussions, agreements or consultations’ and the ministry ‘renews its complete and absolute rejection of normalisation’ with Israel.
However mass protests have already broken out on the streets of Tripoli. Roads were blocked, tyres burnt and demonstrators waved the Palestinian flag. The Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush has been accused of High Treason and referred for investigation.
On Sunday evening, Libya’s Presidential Council requested ‘clarification’ from the government over what had happened. A letter from the body said the meeting between the two foreign ministers ‘does not reflect the foreign policy of the Libyan state, does not represent the Libyan national constants and is considered a violation of Libyan laws which criminalise normalisation with the “Zionist entity”.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now issued a directive that requires his office to approve all covert political talks in advance.
Mangoush has now fled Libya out of concern for her safety in the wake of street protests.
Reports say the United States leadership is furious with Tel Aviv for revealing the secret meeting. US President Joe Biden was aware of the situation and encouraged Libya to attend, but was under the impression that it was secret and would remain so.
The Palestinian people and the working class of the world will be furious that the Libyan government was prepared to meet with the Zionist gangsters at the same time as record numbers of Palestinians are being killed by the same gangsters.
Netanyahu is now leading a far right government that includes fascists, and is insisting that the government cannot be subjected to the law of the land and the power of the judiciary.
There have been a large number of mass demonstrations by Israeli workers opposing the Netanyahu dictatorship.
A large number of Israeli soldiers and workers are saying that they are not prepared to fight for the pro-fascist dictatorship that rules Israel.
It is in this crisis situation that the British TUC is keeping quiet and refuses to intervene to support the rights of the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state where Palestinian and Jewish workers can live side by side in harmony.
The Trade Union Congress is meeting in Liverpool from Sunday 10th September. It cannot be allowed to keep silent over the butchery of the Palestinian people. There must be an emergency resolution put down at this Congress for a general strike to support the Palestinian people and to smash the phalanx of anti-union laws the UK workers face at home.
The TUC must refuse to handle all Israeli goods. It must stand up for the rights of the Palestinian and UK workers. The workers of the world must unite! They have nothing to lose except their chains.
