The visit of the French intellectual, writer and politician, Bernard Levy to Libya, was the focus of a local controversy, mostly widespread criticism, after his visit in 2011 was warmly welcomed.
Who is Bernard Levy?
Levy, “the godfather of the uprisings”, became famous in 1971 and was present in Bangladesh during the war of separation from Pakistan.
He was among those who called for intervention in the Bosnian war. He also was present in South Ossetia during its war with Russia and incited against elections in Iran, as well as supported international intervention in Darfur, in western Sudan.
He is one of the most prominent supporters of the Zionist movement, as he was a candidate for the presidency of Israel in 2011. He was in Sudan before the partition, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Egypt, then Libya, and then to Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, and Ukraine. In Libya, he provided political support to the Transitional Council and rebel groups.
Details of the Visit
Bernard Levy arrived in Libya on Saturday, and it was expected – according to reliable information – that he met with a number of legal and military figures in Misurata, then he was scheduled to visit Tarhouna to inspect the city and find the mass graves in the city, but the owners of the land where the alleged mass graves were refused his visit.
Sources reported that the joint force prevented a convoy of the Ministry of Interior transporting Levy from entering the city, and expelled him outside the administrative borders of the municipality.
Media sources, which could not be verified, indicate that Levy will meet the Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Accord Fathi Bashagha, at a time when the GNA denied any knowledge of Levy’s coming to the country.
Some photos were leaked for the visit, but many evaded the announcement of Levy’s meeting, and others denied the knowledge of the visit and their relationship with it, most notably Suleiman Al-Furtiya, a former transitional council member who was his most prominent friend in 2011.
Refusal of the Visit
Likewise, the Head of the High Council of the State Khalid Al-Mishri denounced Levy’s entry to Libya, calling for an investigation to be opened because of the visit and his advocate, while the mayor of Misrata refused to meet him, and the municipality denied any connection to Levy’s visit to the city and that there was no coordination with the council in particular.
For its part, the General Command of the National Army denied to “218News”, its approval of Levy’s visit to Libya.
Brief statements were issued by a number of parties rejecting Levy’s presence in Libya, most notably the Council of Elders and notables in the city of Khums, which described Levy as a terrorist, as well as the Naaji Brigade, which refused and denounced the visit.
