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Israel apologizes to Jordan over shooting incident, reopens embassy in Amman

Following months of tension after a deadly shooting incident at the Israeli embassy in Jordan, the two countries have reached an agreement.

By: World Israel News Staff

Jordan and Israel reached an agreement on Thursday following a six-month diplomatic crisis triggered by the killing last summer of two Jordanians by an Israeli Embassy guard who had acted in self-defense.

After being stabbed in July by a 17-year-old terrorist of Palestinian origin, the wounded Israeli security guard at the embassy opened fire, killing the assailant. Another Jordanian who was present at the time of the attack was inadvertently hit by the gunfire and later died.

While Jordanian officials initially refused to let the guard return to Israel, he eventually came home, where he received a warm welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Jordanians demanded the security guard be tried, a request refused by Israel.

The incident occurred during intense negotiations between Israel and Jordan related to the violence and tension surrounding the Temple Mount, of which the Jordanian Islamic Trust is the official custodian. A week earlier, three Arab-Israeli terrorists shot and killed two Druze policemen guarding the holy site.

Israel responded by installing metal detectors at the site, a decision that was met with protests and violence by the Muslim world, including another terror attack that claimed the lives of three members of the Salomon family in Samaria by a 19-year-old Palestinian who broke into their home.

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The Jordanian parliament had also praised the terrorists who carried out the deadly Temple Mount attack and criticized Israel for temporarily shutting the site down.

Netanyahu eventually removed the added security from the Temple Mount compound, which met overwhelming public disapproval in Israel.

Israel expresses ‘deep regret’

On Thursday, Israel sent an official memorandum, expressing “deep regret” over the July shooting at Israel’s Embassy in Amman, offered compensation to the families of the victims and agreed to “follow up” with legal measures, AP reported.

“The Israeli embassy in Jordan will return to full activity immediately,” a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office read. “The Israeli authorities will continue reviewing the materials regarding the July 2017 incident and anticipate making a decision in the coming weeks. Israel attaches great importance to its strategic relations with Jordan, and the two countries will act to advance their cooperation and to strengthen the peace treaty between them.