PRESIDENT-ELECT: THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE THE FUTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000357 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/10/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV IS MR SUBJECT: PRESIDENT-ELECT: THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE THE FUTURE OF MAURITANIAN-ISRAELI RELATIONS REF: NOUAKCHOTT 303 Classified By: CDA Steven C. Koutsis. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) President-elect Sidi Mohamed Cheikh Ould Abdallahi, in an interview with the Algerian newspaper "Al-Khabar Al-Jazaaaeri published April 8, is quoted as saying "the last word on (Mauritanian-Israeli) relations belongs to the Mauritanian people." He added, "the reality is that there is an Israeli embassy in Mauritania, and I will take a position after consulting with the Mauritanian people." He noted that Israeli relations with Arab countries appear to be evolving, which may have an impact on the decision. He said he would organize a public debate on the issue, to include Parliament, political parties and civil society. Some commentators took that to mean he would organize a referendum on the question, but Abdallahi did not use that word in the interview. ¶2. (C) Abdallahi's comments track closely with the position he took with Emboffs during a post-election meeting (reftel). However, Israeli Ambassador Boaz Bismuth told Charge April 9 that he and Jerusalem were concerned about these public remarks, wondering if Abdallahi were signaling a change in policy. Campaign rhetoric is one thing, Bismuth said, but coming from a president-elect so soon after the election is worrisome, and he called Abdallahi for clarification. The President-elect assured him that it was all "politics." Bismuth noted that presidential candidate Boukheir Ould Messaoud, who had broken with the CFCD coalition ranks to support Abdallahi in the second round (thus, many believe, securing Abdallahi's victory),was an early proponent of breaking relations, and Bismuth postulated that Abdallahi may have entered into a deal with Messaoud. ¶3. (C) Comment: Abdallahi knows that the present policy on relations with Israel is unpopular here. By pushing the question off to the Parliament and into a vague consultative process, he will likely delay a decision indefinitely, while taking the onus off himself. While these public comments are significant, Abdallahi's private comments to the Israeli Ambassador and to us should be signal enough that he will not take precipitous action. Regardless, his statements have allowed some to infer that he will hold a referendum, which would certainly force the issue. End Comment. Koutsis