Libya’s Tripoli-based Prime Minister Rejects Normalizing Relations with Israel

Libya’s Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Thursday rejected the prospect of normalizing relations with Israel days after news broke of a secret meeting between the countries’ two foreign ministers.

First Meeting Between Israeli and Libyan Foreign Ministers

Last Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen publicly announced that he and Libya’s foreign minister had held a private meeting in Rome the previous week, the first ever between top diplomats from both countries.

Repercussions of the Meeting

The next day, Dbeibah suspended Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush and launched an investigation into the meeting. It is illegal to normalize ties with Israel under a 1957 law in Libya, a strong supporter of Palestinians.

“We affirm our rejection of any form of normalization,” Dbeibah said during a televised ministerial meeting on Thursday evening. “Long live Libya, long live Palestine, and long live the Palestinian cause in all of our hearts,” he remarked.

Protests Erupt in Libya

The meeting ignited angry street protests in several Libyan cities. Protesters stormed the foreign ministry headquarters to condemn the meeting, while others attacked and burned a residence for the prime minister in Tripoli, according to local reports.

“Unfortunately there was an individual in the government who acted independently,” Dbeibah said in reference to the Rome meeting. Harsh measures would be taken in response, he added, but provided no further details.

Libya’s Political Situation

Libya was plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. The oil-rich country has been split between the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the country’s east.

Each side has been backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Gadhafi was hostile to Israel and a staunch supporter of the Palestinians.