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