Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded Israeli ministers will need approval from his office before holding diplomatic meetings in private. AP
Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded Israeli ministers will need approval from his office before holding diplomatic meetings in private. AP
Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded Israeli ministers will need approval from his office before holding diplomatic meetings in private. AP
Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded Israeli ministers will need approval from his office before holding diplomatic meetings in private. AP

Israel's Netanyahu bans ministers from 'secret' meetings after Libya debacle


Thomas Helm
  • English
  • Arabic

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drastically curtailed the ability of government ministers to conduct diplomatic business independently, days after a blunder by Israel’s Foreign Minister caused a backlash in Libya.

Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday banned ministers from holding and publicising details of secret diplomatic meetings without approval from his office, two days after Eli Cohen announced he had sat down with his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush in Italy.

The announcement of the meeting – the first of its kind between foreign ministers from the two countries – caused riots in Libya and stern rejections from senior Libyan officials.

Mr Cohen said he had spoken to Ms Mangoush about “the great potential for the two countries from their relations”, Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

He spoke of “the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jews, which includes renovating synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country”, the ministry added.

Soon after Mr Cohen’s announcement, Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, who heads the Government of National Unity, fired Ms Mangoush. She has since fled to Turkey.

A protest against the meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush. AP
A protest against the meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and his Libyan counterpart Najla Mangoush. AP

Senior Libyan officials denied any knowledge of the meeting.

Israeli opposition politicians condemned Mr Cohen’s revelation of the meeting, accusing him of endangering Israel’s sensitive and often secret ties with Arab countries and prospects for eventually normalising relations with them.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday: “Countries of the world this morning are looking at the irresponsible leak of the meeting of the Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers and asking themselves: 'Is it possible to manage foreign relations with this country? Is it possible to trust this country?'”

Haim Tomer, a former senior Mossad official who throughout his career helped foster secret channels with many Arab states, on Tuesday said Mr Cohen’s actions would put discussions between Israel and Libya “on ice for some time”.

“There seems to me to be two possible reasons Mr Cohen made the announcement,” he said.

“One is to exploit the moment for personal political gain. The other is that he didn’t understand that the condition for continuing such relationships is keeping things secret. From my long experience, meetings like this start and end with both sides agreeing to total secrecy.”

Some Israeli opposition politicians condemned Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s revelation of his meeting with Najla Mangoush. AP
Some Israeli opposition politicians condemned Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s revelation of his meeting with Najla Mangoush. AP

Israel has discreet relations with a number of Arab states, even though it does not have official ties with much of the region. Israel’s intelligence community often first establishes contact, which then turns into wider but still secret engagement led by its Foreign Ministry.

Violent protests in Libya followed Mr Cohen's statement, with protesters torching Israeli flags, tyres and even Mr Dbeibeh’s home.

The country has been in civil war since former ruler Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown in 2011.

Libya has since been divided between rival governments in Benghazi in the east and Tripoli in the west.

Long-awaited elections have been delayed on a number of occasions, which has added to anger among many Libyans.

Ms Mangoush represented the UN-recognised government based in Tripoli and was the first woman to take on the position of Foreign Minister.

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The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

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Pathaan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

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MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports

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Spare

Profile

Company name: Spare

Started: March 2018

Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah

Based: UAE

Sector: FinTech

Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

PSL FINAL

Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi
8pm, Thursday
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

Updated: August 30, 2023, 5:09 AM`