Mauritania and Israel Establish Diplomatic Ties
Israel and Mauritania signed an agreement Thursday to open full diplomatic relations, the third such accord between Israel and an Arab state in more than 20 years of Mideast peacemaking.
Mauritania, on the Atlantic coast of Africa and more than 2,500 miles from the Jewish state, thereby joined Egypt and Jordan in agreeing to exchange ambassadors with Israel.
A member of the Arab League, Mauritania signed a mutual recognition pact with Israel in 1995.
Foreign Ministers David Levy of Israel and Ahmed Ould Sidi Ahmed of Mauritania signed the new agreement in Washington on Thursday at a State Department ceremony attended by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
