In the days of mind games, we have become accustomed to an achievement being presented as a failure and white being painted black. Therefore, it is not surprising that this was the fate of the historic meeting between Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Libyan Foreign Minister Najlaa al-Mankush. The meeting took place last Wednesday in Rome, under the auspices of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Demonstrations in Libya against Foreign Minister's Meeting with Eli Cohen and Normalization with Israel
Al-Mankush represents the Libyan government based in Tripoli, which is recognized by Western countries and controls the western side of Libya. Since representatives of the Mizrahi government, which is based in Benghazi, have met with Israeli representatives in the past and even visited Israel, this means that Libya's two ruling factions recognize Israel, appreciate it and want a relationship with it.
Did not violate any summary
Cohen and the Foreign Ministry did not violate any agreement with the Libyans. It was arranged with them in advance that the very existence of the meeting would be published. The only discrepancy is an introduction by a few hours, after the story has leaked. Beyond that, everything is done according to the book and professional rules. Given the historical dimensions of the meeting, a few hours is negligible.
Abdelhamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the Libyan government in Tripoli, photo: AP
Under the rule of the insane dictator Gaddafi, Libya was among Israel's bitter enemies. Even without the nuclear development he worked on, his country hosted and trained PLO terrorists, and Gaddafi himself worked until his last day to prevent Israel's acceptance by African countries. Needless to say, Libya's important geographical location and enormous size.
Yet another giant state, which was a symbol of eternal Arab hostility to Israel, wants a connection with Israel on both factions. Anyone with a little Israeli patriotism should be moved by this development. Another brick in the wall of the Arab-Israeli conflict is falling.
Foreign Minister of the Libyan Government in Tripoli,
This development did not come by chance. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, a man of hard work, set a clear goal for senior Foreign Ministry officials upon taking office. "Groundbreaking developments," he asked them. Thus, a peace agreement was reached with Sudan (which is currently not feasible for reasons beyond our control). In addition, Israeli flights cross the skies of Oman and reach the east faster. And now, official and open contact with Libya. Who would have believed.
Bottom Line: The Foreign Ministry has recorded a historic achievement
But in our places, good news is not news, and internal accounts – whether within the government, or between it and the opposition – make good appear bad. In this spirit, the headlines and briefings defined the meeting and its aftermath as an "embarrassment," and complained about Al-Mankush's flight to Turkey. Go figure.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen meets with New York City Mayor Eric Adams (archive)
Had these anonymous briefers checked, they would have discovered that there are riots every Monday and Thursday in dilapidated Libya, and that the brave minister had been forced to flee in the past under similar circumstances, regardless of us. But come on, go check. Our lives were taken over by shallowness and provincialism.
Well, for those who are still interested in the facts, here's the bottom line: The Foreign Ministry, headed by Minister Cohen, recorded a historic achievement. All their moves were coordinated with the Libyans, including publicizing the meeting. Libya will no longer be what it was when it came to Israel. For this, instead of cursing, it is worth congratulating.
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