14 Jan. 2022 09:20
Since 2019 at the latest, Libya has become the scene of a proxy conflict between international actors. Now Israel is said to have gotten involved in this conflict.
Since the NATO-backed military intervention in Libya in 2011, the country has continued to struggle. Libya has long been institutionally divided into eastern and western Libya and is dominated by armed militias. The presidential election planned for December 24 has burst for the time being. While names such as General Khalifa Haftar, Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi and Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba on the list of candidates have drawn lawsuits, a list of approved candidates has never been released.
Since 2019 at the latest, Libya has become the scene of a proxy conflict between international actors. Now Israel is said to have gotten involved in this proxy conflict. Mossad chief David Barnea and Libyan Prime Minister Hamid Dbeiba are said to have recently met in Jordan to discuss normalization and security cooperation. The Israeli newspaper reported Jerusalem Post on Wednesday evening, citing Saudi and Libyan media. However, Dbeiba’s office denied that the meeting took place.
reported in November Haaretz, that the son of Libyan General Khalifa Haftar, Saddam Haftar, paid a secret visit to Israel. Haftar’s son asked for “military and diplomatic” support on behalf of his father. In return, he offered to normalize relations with the Jewish state.
It is speculated that the Mossad’s Tevel Political Actions and Cooperation Department maintained contact with various Libyan officials. The former head of the National Security Council, Meir Ben Shabbat, is also said to be involved in this action.
It remains unclear whether Libyan officials under the interim government in Tripoli could make any significant normalization with Israel given the ongoing chaos the country has been in for years.
more on the subject – An analysis: Presidential elections in Libya are on the brink
