The Facts
Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush has been removed from her position after a meeting she had with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome sparked outrage and protests throughout Libya.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who heads the national unity government announced Mangoush’s dismissal Sunday and also revealed that the now-former Foreign Minister was referred for investigation over her meeting.
The Spin
Narrative A
Israel completely botched its efforts to normalize relations with Libya after its foreign ministry leaked information about the meeting between Cohen and Mangoush. Publicizing the meeting while tensions were so high was a recipe for disaster. Israel’s handling of the situation is responsible for this incident.
Narrative B
Despite the rampant reports, Israel didn’t leak information about the meeting between Cohen and the Libyan Foreign Minister. The Israeli government is committed to protecting the Jewish community at home and abroad and wouldn’t do anything to undermine the security and protection of people in the Middle East. There were other sources that led to this controversy.
Narrative C
Though it's unlikely the US put pressure on Dbeibah to normalize ties between his administration and Israel, Dbeibah's political calculus was almost certainly guided by the Biden administration's push to normalize ties between Israel and other Arab nations. However, Libyans, like Arabs across the region, refuse to normalize with a political entity that is currently oppressing the Palestinians. The idea of this meeting was problematic from the start.
