The history of the Jews in Mauritania spans from as early as the fall of the Jewish state in 70 BCE.

They spread throughout the Roman Empire, including the province of Mauritania raising cattle, farming, and trading.

Under the Romans and Vandals (after 429), the Jews of Mauritania flourished.

After the Byzantines gained control in 534 CE, a series of restrictive laws were enacted against the Jews and other dissenters and it appears that they left.

Mauritania did not initially recognize Israel’s right to exist, however in October 1999, the two countries exchanged diplomatic representatives.

On March 6, 2009, the Mauritanian government evicted all staff from the Israeli embassy in the capital city of Nouakchott and Israel officially closed the embassy. By March 21, 2010, all diplomatic relations between the two states had officially come to an end.