Libyan MP: Foreign Minister’s Meeting with Israeli FM is “Treason”

Libya News Agency

August 28, 2023. Balkan Periscope - Hellas

The Libyan Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Misbah Doma described the secret meeting between Foreign Minister, Najla Al-Mangoush and her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen as “high treason.”

Doma said in a statement that the “Libyan state has always been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. Al-Mangoush’s actions constitute betrayal to the martyrs of occupied Palestine. The meeting “indicates the corruption of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and its Prime Minister, who should be held accountable for what he has done, along with his foreign minister.”

The MP stressed that Al-Mangoush’s actions are “a crime and a significant betrayal that should be punished with the harshest penalties under Libyan law.” He described it as “an ethical crime that contradicts the principles of the Islamic nation and the Libyan people.:

Notably, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee of the Libyan Parliament condemned the secret meeting.

The committee said in a statement that the meeting was a “grave violation and a criminal act under Libyan law.” The Parliament called for imposing severe penalties on the Foreign Minister of the “discredited” government. Libyan laws prohibit normalisation, or any form of dealing with Israeli entities or individuals.

The Committee urged for suspending Al-Mangoush. “We call for preventing her from engaging in any actions that could implicate the Libyan state in obligations contrary to the values, national identity, and moral principles of the Libyan people, thereby violating the existing laws and legislation in Libya,” the statement said.

The committee reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to the boycott of the “Zionist entity,” as mandated by Libyan law.

“We express our deep disappointment in the GNU for undertaking such disgraceful actions, which aim to secure narrow political gains and maintain power through concessions that undermine national principles and defy Libyan laws,” it added.

It called on the Attorney General to investigate the incident.

For its part, the Parliament’s Presidential Council has summoned members for an emergency session on Monday. This is to discuss the repercussions of the recent meeting.
The session is scheduled to take place on Monday, in Benghazi.

The Parliament announced that the session aims to address “the legal and moral crime committed against the Libyan people and their national constants through Al-Mangoush’s meeting with the foreign minister of the Zionist enemy.”

Notably, the Prime Minister of the GNU, Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba suspended Al-Mangoush and referred her for investigation following her meeting with Cohen.

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