Middle East & Africa | Abraham discords

Why Libya’s cackhanded Israel diplomacy is bad for America, too

Power-hungry politicians see talks with Israel as a shortcut to American support

People in Libya burn photos showing Israel's foreign minister, Eli Cohen, and his Libyan counterpart, Najla Mangoush
Inflaming the situationImage: AP
|DUBAI

IT WAS a lesson in how not to conduct diplomacy. On August 27th Eli Cohen, the Israeli foreign minister, announced that days earlier in Rome he had met his Libyan counterpart, Najla al-Mangoush. The meeting was meant to be secret. His disclosure sparked protests across Libya, which has no overt ties with Israel.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Abraham discords”

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