One of Libya's rival prime ministers, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, attends a celebration for youth in the city of Zawiya, 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Tripoli, Libya, on October 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad)
Two senior Libyan government officials tell The Associated Press that Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who heads the government of national unity in the capital, Tripoli, did know about the talks between his foreign minister and Israel’s chief diplomat.
One of the officials says Dbeibah gave the green light for the meeting last month when he was on a visit to Rome.
The prime minister’s office arranged the encounter in coordination with Najla Mangoush, he says.
The second official says the meeting lasted for about two hours and Mangoush briefed the prime minister directly after her return to Tripoli. The official says the meeting crowned US-brokered efforts to have Libya join a series of Arab countries establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
File: Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush listens to her Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic during a press conference after talks in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022 (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The official says normalization of relations between Libya and Israel was first discussed in a meeting between Dbeibah and CIA Director William Burns, who visited the Libyan capital in January.
The Libyan premier gave initial approval for joining the US-brokered Abraham Accords, but he was concerned about public backlash in a country known for its support for the Palestinian cause, the official says.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.
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