Hundreds protest against Israel outside Amman embassy
Protesters call for mission to be closed and gas deal nixed over security guard who shot dead 2 Jordanians at compound after being stabbed
Hundreds of Jordanians protested against Israel outside the Jewish state’s embassy in Amman on Friday, over an incident last month that sparked a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Protesters called for the embassy to be shut down, after an Israeli security guard on July 23 shot dead two Jordanians near the building, one of whom had stabbed him with a screwdriver
The protesters also called for nixing a natural gas deal with Israel, Channel 2 reported.
They tried to advance toward the building, but were prevented by police from doing so.
Last month’s incident at the Israeli embassy compound led to a major diplomatic flare-up between the countries, with ties already strained over Israel’s decision to place metal detectors at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem following a July 14 terror attack in which three assailants shot down two Israeli police officers with weapons they had smuggled onto the site.
Jordanian is the custodian of the Temple Mount and administers the site through the Jerusalem-based Waqf, while Israel maintains overall security control.
שישי בצהריים הפגנה בעמאן לא הרחק מהשגרירות הישראלית למען אל-אקצא ובקריאה לסגור את השגרירות. אנשי הביטחון משלבים ידיים כדי לעמוד חוצץ. ברגיל pic.twitter.com/4bZuFe54xg
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) August 4, 2017
Following the shooting, Jordan briefly refused to allow the embassy guard to return to Israel or extend diplomatic immunity to him, threatening a larger crisis over the issue.
The guard — since named Ziv Moyal — and the rest of the embassy staff were eventually allowed to return to Israel on July 24, following a US pressure and a diplomatic push that included a phone call between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, US intervention and a lightning visit by the head of the Shin Bet security agency Nadav Argaman to Amman.
Several hours later, Israel removed the metal detectors and other security measures installed at the Temple Mount.
Despite the return of the embassy staff to Israel and the removal of the security measures at the Temple Mount, ties have continued to be frosty between the two countries after Moyal was embraced by Netanyahu at his office.
In response to the warm reception for Moyal, King Abdullah said that Jordan was “infuriated” by what he called “unacceptable and provocative behavior” by Netanyahu in connection with the deadly shooting.
Jordan has continued to call on Israel to take legal action against Moyal and has reportedly charged him in absentia with murder.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Moyal was attacked in a nationalistically motivated incident, while Jordan has said the stabbing came as a result of a dispute between the guard and one of the Jordanians over the late delivery of furniture to the compound.
Amid heavy Jordanian pressure, Israel announced last week that it was officially opening a probe into the incident and would share its findings with Jordan.
Israel’s diplomatic staff, including Ambassador Einat Schlein, have not yet returned to Amman and it is unclear when they will do so.
Although Israel and Jordan enjoy close security cooperation as a result of the 1994 peace treaty between the countries, Israel remains deeply unpopular in Jordan and the recent diplomatic tensions further inflamed public opinion.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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