Israel and Libya Forge New Diplomatic Relations with High-Level Meeting

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart, Najla Mangoush, held a secret meeting in Italy, marking the first-ever meeting between the two countries' top diplomats. The talks focused on potential relations, including preserving the heritage of Libya's former Jewish community, as well as cooperation in areas such as humanitarian issues, agriculture, and water management. The normalization of relations was initially discussed between Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and CIA Director William Burns, with Dbeibah giving initial approval but expressing concerns about public backlash. Libya has been divided between rival governments since the NATO-backed uprising in 2011, and the United Nations has been working towards new elections.