Qathafi meets with an Italian-Jewish origin delegation

Libya's leader Muammar al-Qathafi received an Italian Jewish delegation to discuss the possibility of paying compensations for the Jews who went outside Libya following the Israeli attack of 1967. It is considered the first official meeting held in Libya with representatives for 6,000 Libyan Jews who left the country after 1967.

Micola Rafareini from "Milan Public relation" which represents the son of al-Qathafi, Saedi, said that the latter played a key role in the visit of the delegation after he had met representatives for the Jews in September.

However, Italian press reports indicated recently that Italian Jews of Libyan origin attended the celebrations on the Libya's National day, September 1st revolution in Libya, at the two Libyan embassies to Italy and the Vatican.

The meeting was held between al-Saedi and al- Qathafi and the representatives of the Jews at Berogia hotel following statements for his father he made three weeks ago when he referred for the first time to the possibility of compensating the Jews.

The Italian daily "La Republica" yesterday quoted members of the Jewish delegation describing, as they were leaving Rome on Sunday to Tripoli, that the visit is an important opening. The paper quoted the Jewish leader Lion Baserman as saying that "al-Qathafi said to the chairman of the committee: you are Libya's brothers."