Exiled FM: ‘Government knew all’

After keeping quiet for a whole year, Libya’s former top diplomat Najla Mangoush has finally shared her side of the story about that controversial meeting with Israel’s foreign minister that got everyone talking.

Speaking on Al Jazeera’s “Atheer” podcast, Mangoush dropped quite the bombshell: the secret Rome meeting wasn’t just her idea – she says her own government asked for it. According to her, they wanted to talk about Mediterranean sea issues with then-Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

“Look, this wasn’t just me going rogue,” Mangoush explained. “The whole thing was set up between our government and Israel.” She says they mainly talked about keeping Libya’s waters safe and secure.

Trying to smooth things over with critics back home, Mangoush claims she actually stood up for Palestinians during the meeting, telling Cohen that Libyans aren’t fans of Israel’s policies and strongly support Palestinian rights.

So why did she stay quiet for so long? Mangoush says it wasn’t by choice – her government wouldn’t let her talk to reporters. In a surprising twist, she revealed how officials rushed her out of the country to Turkey on a private plane, without even looking into what happened.

When news of this meeting leaked last August, it caused huge protests across Libya. No surprise there – Libya has never recognised Israel and has always been firmly in the Palestinian corner. The outrage was so intense that Mangoush lost her job almost immediately.

The whole thing shows just how complicated Libyan  politics can get – what happens behind closed doors isn’t always what you see in public. But one thing’s clear: in Libya, any hint of warming up to Israel is still a really big deal.