Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., August 10, 2008 Av 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:40 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Parting words become just that for Mauritania's president By Barak Ravid Tags: Mauritania, Israel Five days before Wednesday's coup in Mauritania, Israel's ambassador, Boaz Bismuth, left the country after serving there for four years. Bismuth had no idea he would become one of the last foreign envoys to hold a meeting with Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi while he was still president. The president apologized to the ambassador about the hostile media and said, "I, too, suffer a great deal of disturbance today, not only you." Abdellahi received the Israeli diplomat at the door of his bureau in the presidential palace, and then the two sat on the sofa in his spacious office. "I'm sorry that the situation in my country prevented me from meeting with you more," said the Mauritanian president. It was his first serious and prolonged conversation with an Israeli. "I heard how much you have fallen in love with our country and how many contacts you have made with so many Mauritanians from all walks of life," said Abdellahi. Bismuth told Abdellahi that he had felt at home in Mauritania. "It is a place where Islam is both enchanting and moderate," he said. The president heard this with satisfaction and began a long monologue about Islam. "I am sorry to see how how Islam today is connected with extremism," he said. "You should know that not every Muslim who visits a mosque or grows a beard is necessarily also a terrorist." Advertisement Abdellahi admitted there were Al-Quaida cells in Mauritania. One of these even carried out a terrorist attack in which fire was directed at the Israeli embassy. "That is not the true face of our nation," Abdellahi said. "I have been in a large number of Arab states in which, for example, someone who does not fast during Ramadan came under criticism, while in Mauritania if a person doesn't fast, everyone assumes he has a good reason and they show understanding." He told the diplomat: "It is important for me that you leave my country as a friend. And it is especially important to me that you should know that Islam is a moderate religion, and how much more so in Mauritania." Bismuth responded with an anecdote from his service there, an incident from the first Yom Kippur he had spent in Mauritania. "I was looking for three stars in the sky [the sign that the day is over] so as to break my fast," he said. "One of my Mauritanian guards was wondering what I was doing, and I explained to him that Yom Kippur was like Ramadan. Out of empathy, he took out a carpet and began praying a prayer of solidarity. I broke my fast as I heard him calling 'Allah hu akbar.' " But nothing is possible without politics. The president, who said when he was elected in 2007 that he would reconsider his country's ties with Israel, pointed out that the Palestinian issue made it very difficult to maintain bilateral ties. "That is the reason why I was unable to meet with you this year," he told Bismuth. "If there is no effort on the part of Israel to solve the Palestinian problem, it will be extremely difficult to continue the ties between Israel and Mauritania." Bismuth had a ready reply. "How would you feel if missiles were fired from Senegal into Mauritania?" he asked. "Wouldn't you defend your citizens? You have shown that it is possible to be pro-Palestinian without being anti-Israel." The president agreed but said: "Only a peace agreement will shut the mouths of those who are opposed in the Arab world, and in particular in Mauritania, to ties with Israel." "Israel has always supported the democratic process in Mauritania," Bismuth told Haaretz yesterday. "It is not the most pleasant thing to see that the first severe political crisis has hit the world's youngest democracy." He said also: "We were aware there was a serious political crisis." Israel and Mauritania shared two values, peace and democracy, he added. "I hope we have not lost one of these values in Mauritania this week." Related articles: Three held in Mauritania Israeli Embassy shooting Mauritanian Pres.: Attack on Israeli Embassy won't harm ties Bookmark to del.icio.us   Going for the gold Israel's athletes made a forceful debut on the opening day of the Olympic Games. Cooking vs. driving As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans the use of cooking gas to fuel vehicles in the Gaza Strip.

Read & React Israel slams Turkey over Ahmadinejad plan to visit Responses: 116 Israel: We'll hold Lebanon responsible for Hezbollah's actions Responses: 272 PRC: Open crossings within 3 weeks or we'll end Gaza truce Responses: 73 Ze'ev Sternhall: Burying the Jewish state between Hebron and Yitzhar Responses: 85 Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected in beating of J'lem woman Responses: 106 More Headlines 01:23 Officials: Olmert failed to dispel graft suspicions in 5th round of questioning 02:07 Putin defends Russia's Ossetia incursion, slams Georgia over 'genocide' 23:27 Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish dies after heart surgery 00:09 Putin to Peres: Russia doesn't want a nuclear armed Iran 00:15 Beijing Olympics / Israel shows its mettle even without a medal 20:33 Gaza militants fire Qassam rocket into western Negev 15:21 U.S. Jewish congressman beats opponent who linked him to KKK 20:51 Diplomats: Syria blocks new visit by nuclear watchdog 20:35 INTERVIEW / Top U.S. general lays foundation for Palestinian state 07:46 EU tightens sanctions against Iran over nuke program 03:28 Anti-Semitic graffiti prompts Sarkozy's son to take legal action 17:29 As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans use of cooking gas to fuel cars in Gaza 22:38 VIDEO / Ultra-Orthodox 'Modesty Guard' suspected of beating Jerusalem woman Previous Editions Select Day 08 aug 07 aug 06 aug 05 aug 04 aug 03 aug 01 aug 31 jul 30 jul 29 jul 28 jul 27 jul

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Isaac Maimon at Dreamshoppe Special summer sale. Make an offer now. You will be surprised. MBA in Israel in English APPLY NOW! Limited spaces available Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved