On Tuesday, Libya’s Ambassador to Rome, Muhannad Younis denied any involvement in the contentious meeting between Libya’s Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush and her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, which took place in Rome last week.
The Ambassador issued a statement on Tuesday, refuting circulating reports that he had been part of the diplomatic exchange.
In his public comments, Younis revealed that he has been in Libya for more than a month on annual leave. “The Chargé d’Affaires is also unaware of the meeting,” he clarified.
This disclosure comes amid a wave of public and official outrage in Libya following the meeting. The encounter has resulted in mass protests, and triggered a heated debate across both governmental and social spheres in Libya.
Notably, an Israeli official stated on Monday that Al-Mangoush and Cohen engaged in a conversation for over two hours during a meeting in Italy. He told Reuters that the meeting was prearranged at the “highest levels” in Libya, contradicting Libyan statements of an unplanned encounter that sparked protests across the country.
Libya does not recognise Israel and supports the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Foreign Ministry in Tripoli stated that Al-Mangoush had refused to hold any meetings with Israeli representatives, and what occurred in Rome was an “incidental, unofficial meeting during a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani.”
However, the Israeli official cast doubt on this account, saying, “The meeting was prearranged at the highest levels in Libya, and lasted for about two hours. The Libyan Prime Minister views Israel as a potential bridge to the West and the US administration.”