ISRAELIS TAKING SOFTER LINE ON MAURITANIAN COUP

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000676

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV IS MR
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS TAKING SOFTER LINE ON MAURITANIAN COUP

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins


1. (C) Israeli Ambassador Michael Arbel briefed Charge
November 16 on a senior-level Israeli delegation that had met
with the regime the week earlier. Arbel said the Israeli
delegation included a senior diplomat for the peace process,
the MFA Maghreb Director, and the Israeli head of Diplomatic
Security. The delegation signed an accord with the Ministry
of Health transferring responsibility of the Israeli financed
oncology hospital to the Mauritanian government and setting
out conditions for equipping of the hospital and medical
training. The delegation met with General Aziz and with
"Foreign Minister" Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou. The
delegation also reviewed security conditions for their
residence and chancery.


2. (C) Arbel said the "Foreign Minister" and General Aziz
had assured the Israelis that, despite strong internal
pressure to the contrary, the relationship with Tel Aviv is
secure and of strategic importance. Arbel said the "Foreign
Minister" had taken a particularly hard line on the absolute
refusal to see President Abdallahi return to office -- even
if just temporarily. Ould Mohamedou pushed the Israeli's to
use their influence on the U.S. to come around to a more
reasonable position approximating the European Union's --
although Arbel was keen to note that the Mauritanian made no
effort to link this to continued recognition. Ould Mohamedou
told the Israelis he could not understand why the U.S. is
taking such a hard position which he termed
counterproductive. Arbel said the Mauritanians did not push
for the delegation to have him present his credentials to
"President" Aziz -- perhaps because he had reiterated Tel
Aviv's position against that prior to the meeting. Arbel
termed the meeting with General Aziz as less hard line than
the Foreign Minister saying Aziz did not raise the U.S. but
focused more on terrorism and security issues. Concerning
the political situation, the Israeli's told the Mauritanians
they support the international community position against the
coup stressing they did not see enough concrete action from
the regime to suggest they are working to restore democracy.
That said, Arbel told Charge he found Ould Mohamedou's
description of preparations for the National Dialogue on
Democracy as compelling.


3. (C) One of the main Israeli concerns was to secure better
protection for their diplomatic facilities -- particularly if
they start bringing in additional medical training personnel.
They looked at two new buildings for a new chancery -- one a
block away from the U.S. compound adjacent to the Saudi
Ambassador's residence.


4. (C) Comment: Charge told Ambassador Arbel he thought Tel
Aviv risked being manipulated by the military regime for some
very short-term gain in getting progress on their medical
assistance program and improving their security. Should the
international community succeed in getting acceptable
democratic institutions back in place, Israeli cooperation
with the regime now could spell the end of the relationship
later. Charge questioned the sincerity of the regime's
commitment to the relationship noting Aziz had sent yet
another delegation to garner Libyan financial backing for
which the quid pro quo is widely understood to be the
severing of relations with Tel Aviv.
HANKINS