Israel embassy guard sought for questioning by Jordan leaves uninvestigated

Forces stand guard outside the Israeli embassy in the residential Rabiyeh neighborhood of the Jordanian capital, Amman, following an ‘incident’ on July 23, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

A guard at the Israeli embassy in Jordan who recently killed two Jordanians has returned to Israel, evading questioning that had been initially sought by Amman.

He was sent back to Israel along with other embassy staffers on Monday. A day earlier, he had opened fire, killing a Jordanian who he said had attempted to attack him with a screwdriver, and a passerby.

The individual killed, named as 16-year-old Mohammad Jawawdah, had come to the diplomatic premises to install furniture, and his father has described him as “not a trouble-maker or a terrorist” and not affiliated with any political party.

“I want to know how the investigation is going and know what happened and what led to the killing of my son,” the father has said.

Jordan, which had initially barred the staff from leaving the country pending a probe, however, decided against looking into the incident after intervention by the United States.

After the attack, the guard retreated to the heavily-fortified compound. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then sent an envoy bearing messages for Amman.

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, also traveled to Israel on Monday, and then to Jordan.

Meanwhile, Israel censored overnight media reports on the incident in what it called “a move to protect the diplomats from reprisals,” Reuters said.

Arab countries have projected themselves as the traditional adversaries of Israel, which has occupied Arab land and been abusing the rights of Palestinians. Most Arab states claim to have no relations with the Tel Aviv regime, although there have been many reports of secret contacts between them and Israel. Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab countries to have open diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv.

Israeli security forces stand by as Palestinian worshippers pray outside the Lions’ Gate, a main entrance to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem al-Quds’ Old City, July 24, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Jordan carries out the custodianship of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem al-Quds. Israel recently enhanced restrictions on Palestinian access to the compound. Many had expected the measures to cause a flare-up in Israeli-Jordanian ties. It did not, and Amman’s refusal to duly address the shooting incident caused even more surprise.