Libya protest over contract with Israel.

After she had a casual meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Libya's prime minister suspended his foreign minister.

Since Tripoli supports the Palestinian cause, Libya does not recognize Israel, and the meeting has provoked demonstrations.

Eli Cohen of Israel referred to the encounter with Najla al-Mangoush as a significant first step in establishing relations.

Israel is attempting to forge stronger ties with other Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including Libya, which is wealthy in oil.

The Libyan presidential council, which represents the country's three provinces, asserted that normalizing relations with Israel was forbidden.

Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has referred Ms. Mangoush for investigation after the Speaker's Office in parliament accused her of high treason.

Ms. Mangoush and Mr. Cohen, he claimed, spoke about "the great potential for the relations between the two countries" after Mr. Cohen met her last week by happenstance on the fringes of a meeting in Rome.

He claimed that they discussed the necessity of preserving Libya's Jewish legacy, including restoring synagogues and cemeteries, as well as Israeli assistance in humanitarian concerns, agriculture, water management, and other topics.

Ms. Mangoush had turned down a meeting with Israeli officials, according to the Libyan foreign ministry, and what had happened was "an unplanned, casual encounter during a meeting at Italy's foreign affairs ministry."

The ministry "renews its complete and absolute rejection of normalisation" with Israel, according to a statement, and the encounter did not involve "any discussions, agreements or consultations".

After word of the conference spread, protests erupted in Tripoli's capital and a few other cities. Although the demonstrations seem to have been relatively minor, roads were blocked, tires were set on fire, and protesters waved the Palestinian flag.

Since years, Libya has been torn between an opposing government in the east and the interim, internationally recognized government in Tripoli.

That political division, which has remained since the toppling of longtime autocrat Muammar Gaddafi 12 years ago, would complicate any agreement that Israel and Libya might strike.

In the eastern coastal city of Tobruk, the rival government is led by Gen. Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The 2020 Abraham Accords, which aim to persuade nations who are opposed to Israel to recognize its sovereignty and establish diplomatic relations, are what gave rise to Israel's charm offensive.

Israel has already done this with the Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan. The expansion of West Bank settlements and military operations against alleged militant sanctuaries in the occupied Palestinian territory, however, have drawn criticism against Benjamin Netanyahu's administration.

The Libyan Presidential Council asked the government for "clarification" about what had occurred on Sunday night. The country's military is under the control of the Presidential Council, which also serves as the head of state.

The meeting between the two foreign ministers, according to a letter from the organization, "does not reflect the foreign policy of the Libyan state, does not represent the Libyan national constants, and is considered a breach of Libyan laws which criminalize normalization with the "Zionist entity."

Additionally, it commanded Mr. Dbeibah "to apply the law if the meeting occurred."

Thousands of Jews were driven out of Libya under Gaddafi, who was a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause, and numerous synagogues were demolished.