FREEZING OF MAURITANIAN - ISRAELI RELATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NOUAKCHOTT 000047 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAL IS MR SUBJECT: FREEZING OF MAURITANIAN - ISRAELI RELATIONS APPEARS TO HAVE LITTLE PRACTICAL MEANING FOR NOW Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Dennis Hankins for reasons 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) The Mauritanian regime's decision, as announced by General Aziz at the Doha Summit on January 16, to "freeze relations" with Israel has little practical effect for the time being. The Israeli Ambassador received a diplomatic note January 17 announcing that Mauritania had decided to freeze relations following the Doha Summit but offering no explanation as to what that means. The note asks the Israeli Embassy to "take appropriate measures," again, providing no details. The Ambassador has yet to be contacted by Foreign Ministry officials and as not sought further clarification. The Embassy opened as normal in January 17. Israeli Ambassador Arbel told Charge that his government had no specific response to the Doha decision. The Ambassador said he "will not do them the favor" of reducing his activities, limited as they are, or leaving the country. ¶2. (C) Israeli relations with Mauritania are essentially limited to the presence of their corresponding chanceries with hardly any exchanges, trade relations or development programs. The largest Israeli initiative has been the construction of an oncology hospital for Mauritania. The building itself is finished, but the Israelis and Nouakchott have been stuck in negotiations for several months over the equipping of the center and training of Mauritanian personnel by Israeli medical personnel. It is assumed those discussions will end for now, but they weren't really making much progress in any case given Mauritanian concerns over substantially increasing the Israeli presence in Mauritania with medical trainers. Ambassador Arbel told Charge he was still waiting for guidance from his capital on whether to proceed with the acquisition of a new chancery and residence (the selected site about 100 yards from the U.S. Mission). ¶3. (SBU) Press reports cite regime "Foreign Minister" Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou as saying the "freeze" will not require Israel to close their embassy in Nouakchott nor would the Mauritanian's expel the Israeli Ambassador. Mauritanian press and internet chatter has been almost unanimously supportive of Aziz' decision although multiple comments note that "freezing" is not the same as "cutting" the relationship. Some anti-coup militants support action against Israel but note Aziz is not the legitimate president and therefore has no authority to make diplomatic decisions. ¶4. (C) The Doha decision continues to play domestically more in the context of Mauritania's internal political crisis than as a question of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Substantial attention was paid to the fact that Aziz felt sufficiently confident in his position to risk taking his first trip abroad since the August 6 coup (keeping in mind that the 2005 coup against Taya was launched while he was outside the country). Aziz was announced at the conference as "the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania" and given pride of place next to the Qatari Emir according to press reports. The press also highlighted the pleasantries between Aziz and Algerian President Bouteflika -- seen as a sign of a softening of Algerian resistance to the coup. The press openly speculates that Aziz was able to secure financial assistance from Qatar and other Arab states by participating in the summit. At a January 17 dinner hosted by the Israeli Ambassador, the Israeli hoped that the just-announced Israeli cease-fire would take some of the pressure off Aziz. The Spanish Ambassador warned he was not optimistic since he saw Aziz looking to parlay the full cessation of relations with Israel into the economic support his regime needs in the face of American and African sanctions stemming from the coup (the Spaniard discounted the likelihood of European sanctions saying he was sure "something will be worked out"). The Spaniard said he saw Libya and Qatar ready to provide funds now, with Algeria and Sudan ready to strengthen security and military ties. He also saw Iran anxious to build relations that previous Mauritanian governments had resisted. NOUAKCHOTT 00000047 002 OF 002 HANKINS