Elseddik Haftar Rejects Normalization with Israel

The revelation of the meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla al Manqoush, which took place in Italy, reopened the public debate on the positions of the Libyan political parties regarding the issue of normalization with the Jewish State
As a result of this disclosure, spontaneous demonstrations took place in many Libyan cities, with some protesters burning the Israeli flag. And on social networks, Internet users expressed their anger by condemning the “act of betrayal” committed, according to them, by Ms. al-Manqoush. This at the very moment of the announcement of the arrest of the minister of the government Dbeiba, who was referred to the prosecutor’s office for investigation

One of the most uncompromising positions on this issue of normalization with Israel is that of Dr. Elseddik Haftar – eldest son of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) -, who categorically rejects any compromise to the detriment of the rights of the Palestinian people and, more generally  of the Arab peoples. Eli Cohen himself pointed out in a tweet the failure of all Israeli attempts to get in touch with Elseddik Haftar. The latter’s positions reflect the opinion of the vast majority of the people in Libya: according to a recent poll* conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Political Studies, based in Doha (Qatar), 96% of Libyans reject the normalization of relations with Israel as well as its recognition
Libya ranked 2nd among the 14 Arab countries surveyed in order to assess their level of opposition to this normalization. One of the studies warned of the potential deterioration of the security situation in Libya if officials, whether from the East or the West of the country, try to normalize relations with the Jewish State. This poll concluded that normalization with Israel would be a serious threat to Libyan stability. In the past, on the basis of this study, some forces present on the Libyan ground have accused each other of seeking to normalize relations with the Jewish State at the express request of the United States
The controversial meeting between the Israeli and Libyan heads of diplomacy was unveiled by the Hebrew media. They thus reported that Eli Cohen had “secretly met” Najla al-Manqoush during an unprecedented step to discuss bilateral relations between their two countries. “This interview was the very first ever conducted between the foreign Ministers of Israel and Libya. Its purpose was to discuss the possibilities of cooperation and correspondence between the two parties, as well as devise ways to preserve the heritage of Libyan Jews,” said the Israeli television Channel 12, which specified “that Eli Cohen met (…) Najla Al-Manqoush in Italy, during the reception of the latter by her Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani”. During these discussions, Eli Cohen argued that “the dimension of Libya as well as its strategic location confer on bilateral relations a considerable importance and a prodigious potential”. The Israeli foreign Minister also confided that he had dialogued with his Libyan counterpart about the “great benefit that Israeli-Libyan diplomatic relations would offer, as well as the importance of preserving the heritage of the Jews of Libya”, including the rehabilitation of synagogues and Jewish cemeteries
However, after the violent protests in Libya, the Israeli media reversed course, turning back the clock on this case. At the same time, Ofir Gendelman, former spokesman for the Israeli Prime minister to the Arab press, deleted his tweet in which he commented on the meeting of the two ministers. Gendelman had written: “Cohen’s meeting in Italy with al-Manqoush has been declassified.” He also called it “historic”. “The establishment of cooperation between the two countries was discussed,” he added, noting that this was “the first step for the establishment of official relations between the two countries” and that “the regional circle of peace is expanding”
Dr. Elseddik Haftar’s approach to this sensitive issue is also in accordance with Libyan legislation, which imposes sanctions in the event of normalization with the “Zionist enemy usurping Arab lands” and penalizes communication with Israel in any form whatsoever – direct or indirect, open or secret –; in particular laws n° 62 of 1957 and n° 7 of 1962. In fact, the law n° 62 prohibits anyone, either persons or companies, from concluding an agreement of any kind with organizations or people based or residing in Israel, who are nationals, who work for the Jewish State or with its representatives. Anyone who violates these bans is liable to a prison sentence of three to ten years, a conviction that can also be accompanied by a large fine.

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* The results of the survey were published on January 4, 2023 and concerned 33,300 respondents with whom personal interviews were conducted directly. Some 945 researchers took part in its realization, which required more than 72 thousand hours