a rebel army is marching on the libyan capital, deaf to pleas from the visiting secretary general of the un last week and defying the wishes of the wider international community. since the uprising that toppled muammar gaddafi in 2011 libya has muammar gaddafi in 2011, libya has been wracked by civil war. antonio gutteres had hoped to bring all sides together this month for a un backed conference to plan national elections. but at the head of the self proclaimed libyan national army, khalifa haftar seems to have other plans. select as look at why it is. jef, you're stuck because of it. why is it that libya is still such a wreck so it that libya is still such a wreck so many years after the fall of gaddafi? you have to go to the ritz. gaddafi? you have to go to the ritz. gaddafi is not something you can get over $0 gaddafi is not something you can get over so quickly. —— you have to go

to the roots. i think the international community has given up and with good reason. it has just been allowed to languish. it has taken a long time for the general to get himself organised in benghazi and even that has taken a long time. even to think about unifying the country has ta ken even to think about unifying the country has taken deal—making, support from egypt, france and other sources who are not necessarily paying so much attention to what the un is asking. is it good or is it bad? we like countries are run by people, but libya is a mess. it is ha rd to people, but libya is a mess. it is hard to see this is going to be an improvement. mitchell, is haftar a

first —— rachel... mid mag he improvement. mitchell, is haftar a first -- rachel... mid mag he he is playing at that strongman card and people want some stability in that chaos. so that is quite appealing. when you look at the situation, you know, for various reasons when you look at the arab uprisings, tunisia was a first but also the best case. tunisia has specific reasons of its owfi tunisia has specific reasons of its own to account for that including that it has had a very strong civil society for some years, but it was also the first one to get away before the international community started to interfere. , as it did with egypt, as it did with libya and as it did come up with devastating consequences, as it did come up with devastating consequences, with assyria. what ——

with syria. the un may want everyone to come together and have peace talks, but as long as there are different factional elements in libya, as there is in syria, there is absolutely no chance of that happening. what do you think? a failed state obviously. if you help to depose a dictator then there is a vacuum. to depose a dictator then there is a vacuum. if you don't stay around long enough to help with the after effects, this is what tends to happen. i do not know if any feasible remedy now. there is the straw man solution of appointing another dictator, but it is —— there tends to be a strong

it became a centre for people trafficking. the migration problem had a lot to do with that. that people are flooding the libya and taken people are flooding the libya and ta ken by people are flooding the libya and taken by people traffickers across to italy and to greece and to spain. that problem, to some extent, has been controlled now, but it is very dangerous to have in north african state so close to europe, even from a point of view. former chief of staff of gaddafi, who spent 20 years at exco and then came back and then fought this battle, trench by trench to the capital? do think events will be decided that we on the ground, or by these wider forces that the others have been describing? gaddafi

was the solution for a long time and he was a hard man who kept a lid on it. the rest of us turned a blind eye until he started doing things like sending semtex to the ira. the west have good intentions, but they now plan to follow it through. we have seen this particularly throughout the middle east. it is quite likely that you are going to see history repeating itself, not least because this individual has formed alliances and patronage with the saudis and the russians and even the saudis and the russians and even the egyptians and he was originally set out as someone who was combating islamic extremism and that made him popular because he was our enemy's enemy. he was originally a gaddafi loyalist and then became a cia asset, so we're not talking about there, we are talking about a... para. when the leg it keeps its

dictator, but assad is the survivor in that region, which is quite tragic. we talked at the beginning about you and cut, saying that eve ryo ne about you and cut, saying that everyone put down your arms. is there a role for the us, as a former superpower, world policeman, to come in and say, collect everybody. is that a given that the trump president does not play in libya?” don't think even know where libya is. i don't see any interest in trump to do that. obama was an isolationist in his own way. his decision not to go into syria for example. i have no time for trump at all, i think it is an administration ignoramus is, but obama made a conscious decision that america would not be the policeman of the

world. but he did lead from behind in libya. yes, lead from behind. we are going to move to the middle east. israel goes to the polls this week in an election which some describe as a referendum on benjamin netanyahu. the israeli prime minister has been in powerfor a decade but his hopes for re election are overshadowed by possible corruption indictments. israelis are preparing for a tight result this week, but for palestinians, israel's neighbours and the wider middle east, will it make a difference who the voters elect? rachel? for palestinians it will not make much difference, because the occupation has not been part of the conversation in israel for some time. there's not really left because the labour party is desiccated. very few people define themselves as left—wing. about 12% ofjewish israelis would define themselves as a and paradoxically, themselves as a and paradoxically, the younger people, which is

contrary to what is happening is a trained in the west, the younger people are more right—wing than the older generation. why is that? for those who remember the old powerful labour party of israel and perhaps don't pay attention to developers their only day to day or week to week basis? just give us any nutshell why the left has lost so much support? settlement expansion under the treatment of the palestinians paste whether it was the left labour party or right likud party. there are differences on economic issues and in later years, there are differences on how they view illiberal democracy. blu ntly there are differences on how they view illiberal democracy. bluntly —— view illiberal democracy. bluntly —— view a liberal democracy. culling the left—wing traitors, calling rights organisations traitors. ——

calling the left—wing traitors, calling the left—wing traitors, calling right wing organisations that came to be seen as the narrative created in israel. we tried, we given everything, the palestinians are not ready for peace. that narrative is not true, but that is the narrative that is cemented in israel. this explains why the generation of young people are becoming more right—wing because thatis are becoming more right—wing because that is their own experience.“ that is their own experience.“ thatis that is their own experience.“ that is their own experience.“ that is the context, janet, is this a referendum on benjamin netanyahu? probably, but is also a referendum, as most is when elections are, on a national security. most of the neighbouring countries, the arab countries have lost interest in the palestinians. the two state solution has gone because no one is

championing the palestinian cause. it used to be the case that russia, and its severe union days once considered to be so —— in its soviet union days, was once considered to be on that side. britain is —— putin isa be on that side. britain is —— putin is a friend of the resume which is the greatest threat to israel's security. what about the challenger? there is a challenge who is fighting a tight race in benjamin gantz? he favours a more secular, centrist approach to the economy and to dealing with palestine. a much more aspirational approach to what israel can be full stop especially since in the past decade, netanyahu has created such a race towards the

bottom. neither of the big players will hold that much sway. if he goes with what is possible, and what is pragmatic any country where lots of people have had a national service and they have heard the pontificating of neta nyahu and they have heard the pontificating of netanyahu and they have heard the extreme religious speaking and sending others to take pa rt speaking and sending others to take part in what is generally seen to be a mess, it is possible that he might strike a chord and the centre might actually hold a mite optimistic engagement with palestine and others. for purely pragmatic reasons. what you thinkjefit is interesting to think... it is very interesting. it does seem interesting. it does seem interesting to see the similarities

between trump and netanyahu, they like each other and the act the same way. they're both bombastic and demonise their enemies. netanyahu is much more intelligent. he has been there much longer yet. now, he's much more intelligent. he identifies... he has done everything he could, leaving the embassy, everything to help netanyahu. this may turn out to be... i mean, it feels like i think israel is getting to it mate be that security solution. it doesn't have a solution to the palestinians. it could be a jewish and democratic state, but keep going, keep going, don't acknowledge it and keep it on the side and it is working so far and the americans, i think the new peace plan from jared kushner, which is supposed to be released to the world after the elections... i have to

say, being jewish and a supporter of israel, it breaks my heart, the relationship with trump. why is it appalling? because trump is a fascist of sorts and he is so unattractive to enlighten voters of every description. —— to enlightened vote rs of every description. —— to enlightened voters of every description. i think netanyahu is making a mistake in the long run to associate with trump. were not going to get into that, rachel? when we talk the person is, what about iran, what about syria, what about iran, what about syria, what about iran, what about syria, what about lebanon? when you look at the smell elections to the sea anything to chose the netanyahu line —— when they look at the elections to the sea anything to chose between

the meta nyahu to the sea anything to chose between the netanyahu line and the gantz line? you could see things over economic issues are whether they wa nt economic issues are whether they want to be in the authoritarian or not. i suspect gantz is not in that field, but it has to be said, the policies are absent in the selection. there are no policies. blue and white, the gantz coalition with yair lapid, is not really forward facing. it does not have a story to tell. it's a story is stop bb. it is not necessarily enough to get you over the line. sometimes ideas and capture the age. people are sick of bibby as well. we do not

doa are sick of bibby as well. we do not do a dateline london programme without discussing brexit. even by brexit standards, last week was extraordinary? a seven hour cabinet meeting, a commons vote tied, another that squeaked through on a majority of one, negotiations between theresa may and a man she'd long said was unfit to govern, and to cap it all, a letter to the european union which erased yet more of the red lines she'd once said were indelible. but when history is written, the first week of april may not feel like the turning point in the brexit saga. because the second week of april is fast upon us and it may prove more fateful. janet, who is actually in power this weekend? good question. it isjust as carefully as it looks. this is really happening. the remainders are —— the remainers are, at the moment thinking that all their christmases have come at once. an indefinite

delay to article 50, then you get another year delay, then you get another year delay, then you get another and eventually it all goes away. that might be the case, that might be what is going to happen. but it needn't be. because a year, if they actually take a year extension, and a lot of my brexiteer friends will not agree with me on this. if you take the extension and the... instead of pushing it further and further down the road which accomplishes nothing. they had a year to make substantial changes any leadership which has been so absolutely hopeless. the whole political configuration of how the tory party relates to the country and how it relates to itself, the change of leadership, it can trans figure the situation and transform it. that is the hope and also the hope that the eu might actually decide that it is not such a good idea to keep us in. at the moment, one of the things that is quite heartbreaking about this is that the

idea of the democratic nation state, thatis idea of the democratic nation state, that is to say the people who you govern and who you are it's only been defended in europe by fascist, by populist. by hardcore, anti—democrats. which is bizarre. if we we re anti—democrats. which is bizarre. if we were still in the eu, we could legitimise an awful lot of the anti—eu sentiment, the eurosceptic sentiment that is so prevalent in europe because we have this tradition of strong and stable democracy can stop that may not be helpful to people like micron who wa nt helpful to people like micron who want to continue the federalisation of the year. —— two macron who might wa nt of the year. —— two macron who might want to continue federalisation of the eu. some might say that may not be helpful to europeans, but also to the conservative party? absolutely. it isa the conservative party? absolutely. it is a question not in the short term, but it is a question of what

europe would think. macron is worried about is staying in. the most fundamental democratic sense of britain's history and its institutions. that is an ache or irreconcilable difference. they have created an logically impossible situation where it seems to be an unresolvable dilemma of coming out, but actually staying in is also irreconcilable from the eu's point of view. jef, i know you watch westminster closely, but if that compromise with labour for gaza worked and got her devotes of any line for her withdrawal agreement, they're not pointless from her point of view, that the 30th ofjune deadline? not going to happen. i ee, deadline? not going to happen. i agree, not going to happen. signs are worse than zero. you never know,

but i think we do now. i think we can besotted, almost inevitably, by the parliamentary ins and outs and this extension under that deal and it is conceivable that there will be some kind of set of vindictive votes for the different alternatives this week that may, if the government controls any voting system and there alternative voting and kind ofjust not passed that mightjust not first past the post votes, could coalesce around theresa may's deal. maybe that's what their... it does make sense to me to stop brexit has never made sense to me as an economic, cultural or political matter. i don't think it will ever work. it is like trying to take part of an aeroplane while you're flying it. there are all sorts of analogies. i don't think the promises made can ever be delivered. because it is

fundamentally an emotional thing, we wa nt to fundamentally an emotional thing, we want to control our own country. well, were not going to re—fight the brexit battle. and another tory leader, whoever that may be, to figure out another set of twitters with the declarations, i don't see ever working. you don't see it working? rachel, what about the european council summit? it is good enough to say that we're flying media and we are in a plain and we had to get it to land, there is the european council summit next wednesday and we what is to happen? there is a sense of desperation help help us help you? we don't know what you want. it must be very frustrating for them to think, look, you can have an extension that is flexible. we can give you a year, if

you wanted to stop before then it can stop before. and if theresa may says it will know we wanted to join, it is ridiculous. it must be frustrating to be that other side of the table. to think donald tusk on the table. to think donald tusk on the other side of the table, who did a p pa re ntly the other side of the table, who did apparently talk about this flexible extension, think you can deliver 27 yeses than 25 and a couple of no? net i think you can. we haven't seen very much deviation i think we can. we haven't seen very much deviation on that. i think ultimately, the things that they are interested in, a smooth transition, stability, lack of disruption, minimal chaos,... to mainland europe as well. these are things that are going to drive towards a longer extension and it is

in britain's interested that as well. if you're a leaver and you still want to leave, despite everything, taking the time to reconfigure seems to make sense. so, bernard, you agreed ? reconfigure seems to make sense. so, bernard, you agreed? around the table we seem to agree that remainers and leavers are shuffling into the camp of a longer extension? you'll like it is the only practical response. if it is going to be longer and more of the same, that is why you have the reticence in france. to a franco british competition. in 19th century model of government here, the two party system top—down does not seem to comprehend a multilateral way of doing business. there are 27 other countries, ranging from the snow to the bag and angler merkel —— ranging from the small to the big and angela

merkel... macron give some rhetoric of support. there are going to be practical concerns. they want to know how they can stop disrupting their own rules —based system. nothing will be gained by going right, you have to go only hard brexit. by holding the men and there isa brexit. by holding the men and there is a prospect of disruption, there are countries that will see, why should we let them? there is signal europeans that are saying that there is an alarmingly high risk of a disorderly brexit, by accident? yes. and macron has said that ireland and france are the two that would face the most disruption. the netherlands have been putting plans in place. then i don't like to see what is

happening and have affection. ireland is the same and you have the same whether germany and the scandinavian states. there is a certain kind of fatalism that people might have to resign britain to its own fate. is very moment on thursday this week, janet, that people should simply revoke it and we have time... noi simply revoke it and we have time... no i don't think that is possible. there is not a majority for that in parliament, let alone the country. that would be suicide. what impressed me about public opinion is the desire for leave has scarcely removed and there is now a majority of people asked percy which, with no deal. that is not true. that has to be contested wherever people see it. it is absolutely untrue. you don't even get their... not the majority

of people in the country thinking we should leave with no deal, but when you offer the options of the ways that we might leave, no deal has escalated. that is because many of them, and curtis has shown this in his polling, that the means —— they think it means its status quo. does anyone think that he conform to a referendum, so it would take it back to the people, we do of this? yes, absolutely. we would understand that he can from a confirmatory referendum is not this evil plot. it's not an evil plot, no. people would see it as what it is, we have a deal, we will check in with the public, as this deal, rather than the concept of a deal, does this

have a perfect the public? —— does this have the approval of the public? over the last two years, public? over the last two years, public opinion has been much more sophisticated on this issue. this has been the discourse of the nation for the last year and they have become very much more sophisticated in the understanding of the issues. we are going to have to leave it on that rather he did not. thank you for joining that rather he did not. thank you forjoining me. that's it for dateline london for this week. we're back next week at the same time. goodbye. i hold my hands up at the start of

this core forecast. pinning down the details for this weekend is going to be quite tricky. predicting where we will see the thickest cloud and when. it is of thickest cloud filling around an area of low pressure that brought us the show last week. we get an easterly breeze, eastern areas will have thicker cloud and often feel colour, but that is not always the case. towards the west we should get the best of the sunshine and the best of some of the world. some spots are looking a little grey for sunday and they will be for this afternoon. any may closer look at this afternoon. for much of scotland are some very solid cloud and outbreaks of rain. the highlands and the northern isles doing pretty well for the second pa rt doing pretty well for the second part of the day. along with dumfries and galloway and ayrshire. wells in the south—west. .. and galloway and ayrshire. wells in the south—west... pinning as far east as kent and east anglia, often rather grey and cold around the coast. looking great for the

national at entry. perhaps a little cooler by the time the race takes place. if you're heading at the ceiling, some rain to come across scotland. some few showers running into the west of england. mark later went into the night. work done last night. with a risk of a touch of frost. those of around six or 7 degrees. 0n frost. those of around six or 7 degrees. on sunday, the cloud a little bit more evenly spread across the uk. to the north the cloud is going to stay pretty solid on sunday. further said it is good to see some sunny spells developing by lunchtime. the temperatures were also shut up, but you can see what happens when it gets a little bit warmer across eastern. . . happens when it gets a little bit warmer across eastern... pretty big thunderstorms developing and those could affect the but race and may be the fa cup final taking place at wembley. great posting and any

little bit of brightness. and then some hefty rain spreading its way across england and wales as a leader pans out. it looks, by monday, it will be northern and scotland enjoying the best of the brightness. scotland will enjoy the best of the brightness on monday.

this is bbc news. the headlines at 12pm. cautious optimism from both the conservative party and labour over brexit talks after they broke up last night without progress. the government perhaps has to show a little more flexibility than it has so far. there has been no movement from the government on the actual concept of the political declaration, and that is key. the conversations with the labour party is continuing, they were continuing la st is continuing, they were continuing last night. we are expecting to exchange some more tax with the liberal party today, so this is an ongoing process, and i'm optimistic we will be some form of agreement. the housing dreams turn into nightmares. growing numbers of complaints about new—build properties. higher pension

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