Saddam Hafter, son of Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, has reportedly met in secret with Israeli officials last week during which he offered to establish diplomatic ties in return for Israeli “military and diplomatic assistance.”
A private jet landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where it remained grounded for 90 minutes with Haftar and Israeli officials onboard, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Haftar, who is said to be in line for Libya’s presidency in its December elections, reportedly offered in exchange for Israeli assistance the promise that Libya will launch diplomatic ties with Jerusalem.
According to The Times of Israel (ToI), the report did not indicate who Haftar met with during his short visit.
However, it did disclose that he was previously in contact with a Mossad department that deals with countries that Israel does not have relations with.
The report further stated that Haftar carried the message from his father to establish a normalization process between the two countries akin to the Abraham Accords, which established relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, ToI reported.
Israel has no official ties with Libya, as it was a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, especially under its former dictator Muammar Gaddafi who governed the North African country from 1969-2011.
Since 2011, Libya has been engaged in a civil war with rival factions in the east and the west backed by armed groups and foreign governments.
The December elections are hoped to establish a reconciliation government that will bring together the warring factions.