Ahmed Shebani told the Jewish Telegraph that he sees Israel as a role model and a functioning democracy.

Mr Shebani, the founder of the Democratic Party of Libya, said: “Libya has not established peace with Israel because, for the last 60 years, it has been the only democracy in a sea of dictatorships.

“We want the Jews to be witness to a new Libyan government.”

He added that once the Gaddafi regime is gone, the new government should invite Libyan Jews, and those of Libyan descent, to reclaim and take citizenship.

Mr Shebani, who has helped lead the fight to topple Muammar Gaddafi, explained: “It doesn’t make a difference that they are Jewish.

“The Jews and Muslims of Libya have a shared history – they are part of our social fabric.

“They will always be Libyans.”

He apologised on behalf of the Libyan people for the expulsion of Jews after the 1967 Six-Day War.

No Jews are believed to live in Libya and most of its community left after the establishment of Israel.

Those remaining Jews fled when Libya launched a state-sponsored country-wide pogrom in the wake of Israel’s victory in the war.

“The Jews were expelled in the most barbaric way,” Mr Shebani explained.

“They were told they could only take one bag and were given $20.”

Libyan Jews went mainly to Italy and Israel. Libya has never recognised Israel and Gaddafi has a history of poisonous anti-Zionist rhetoric.

Gaddafi is also believed to have funded a number of Palestinian terrorist groups and advocated attacks against Israel.

Mr Shebani fled the city of Misrata earlier this year, fearing for his life, and his political party helped to trigger the beginning of the Libyan uprising in February.

Word started to gather over the internet calling for the Gaddafi dictatorship to go. And the Libyans sat up and took notice.

Mr Shebani is the son of a former minister in the cabinet of Libya’s King Idris, who Gaddafi deposed in a military coup in 1969.

He revealed that Libyan-born Canadian Jewish businessman and philanthropist Walter Arbib had galvanised the Libyan Jewish diaspora to send charitable donations to the rebels fighting Gaddafi’s regime.

Mr Shebani added that Mr Arbib, who fled the capital Tripoli in 1967, sent Israeli medicines to refugee camps on the Libya-Tunisia border.

Mr Shebani also called on the United Nations to establish a commission, including Israel, to help set up a secular, democratic Libya.

He said: “Once the democratic elections take place, then we can begin the process of talks with Israel.”