On backdrop of shooting: Criticism over Mauritania-Israel relations
Diplomatic sources estimate shooting at Israeli Embassy in Nouakchott not related to organized terror group like al-Qaeda. However, those familiar with tension, conflicts in Arab country over diplomatic relations with Israel not surprised by incident
These tensions have risen recently on the backdrop of the Israeli operations in Gaza and the siege imposed on the Strip.
The claims presented by Hamas created a snowball, which led to mass demonstrations throughout the Arab world, including in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott.
President leans on anti-Israeli coalition
On the backdrop of the recent tensions are important changes which have taken place in Mauritania. In 2005, the country underwent a military coup.
The new president, Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, rushed to meet with the Israeli ambassador, Boaz Bismuth, and stated, despite the objection of the African country's Islamic groups, that he would maintain the diplomatic relations with Jerusalem.
Simultaneously, the president announced that he would establish a democratic constitution and hold general elections and presidential elections within two years, and would not run the elections.
The elections were held in 2007, supervised by Western elements. The newly elected president, Sidi Ould Sheikh Abdellahi, was forced to lean on a coalition comprised of members who slammed him over Mauritania's relations with Israel.
Just one week ago, President Abdellahi was quoted as saying that he had promised to consider a demand made by several parties in his country to cut Mauritania's diplomatic ties with Israel in protest of the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Along with the freedom of speech, the newly elected parliament brought elements with reservations over the relations with Israel. Voices using this tone have been made louder than before, both from the coalition and from the opposition, as well as in inflamed articles in the local media.
In addition, Nouakchott now has a new ambassador on behalf of the PLO with a particularly venomous approach towards Israel. In a demeanor which does not characterize diplomats, the ambassador took part in a number of demonstrations against Israel, and even sent a all of his fellow ambassadors in the city Happy New Year card, featuring a bleeding peace dove crucified on a Star of David.
'Shooter did not try and break into embassy'
This internal conflict is now joined by the recent events surrounding the "darkness festival" in Gaza, which have led to angry demonstration in Nouakchott and to an even tenser atmosphere.
This is the reason why diplomatic sources in Jerusalem estimate that the severe incident which took place Friday morning can be attributed to an independent person who decided to initiate an attack due to the tense atmosphere, rather than to an al-Qaeda terror network or other elements.
"We are in no rush to label people, and there is no basis to say that this was an al-Qaeda act. It was an independent person, not wearing uniform, who did not use sophisticated equipment and did not try to break into the embassy. It appears that there is no network behind him," a diplomatic source told Ynet.
The source also noted that the Israeli Embassy was located near one of the only restaurants visited by diplomatic and Western elements in the city and that "it appears that his general target were the embassy and the restaurant."
In any event, Friday's incident does not bear good news in a country where the relations with Israel attract a lot of attention and resistance, despite the Jewish state's efforts on this level in the past few years.
As part of these efforts, Israel is working to build an oncologic hospital in Nouakchott for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer patients and to train its local doctors in the Jewish state, and has also aided orphans whose parents died of AIDS.
In spite of these efforts, there is reason to assume that the opposition to Mauritania's diplomatic relations with Israel will continue, and perhaps even increase.
