Protesters gathered near the Israeli Embassy in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Friday, angry that an embassy guard who killed two Jordanians had returned to Israel under the protection of diplomatic immunity. The guard maintains he was acting in self-defense and that one of the men he shot had attacked him with a screwdriver. The second victim was caught in the crossfire. Witnesses said around 200 people assembled peacefully near the embassy. Scores chanted "Death to Israel," and called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and scrapping of the unpopular peace treaty signed between the two countries in 1994. A large number of Jordanian police had sealed off the area around the embassy, so the protesters gathered nearby. "The main headline of this protest is to move the shameful embassy of the Zionist entity from our capital, Amman, and at the same time to focus on canceling the shameful agreement of Wadi Araba [the 1994 treaty]. These protests will continue and will not stop because the national dignity is a red line for us and Zionists have to understand this," said protester Abdul Majeed Dandees. Jordan has provided Israel with the results of its investigation into the shooting. The country's attorney general filed murder charges against the guard and called on Israel to put him on trial. The Israeli Foreign Ministry released a statement saying, "Israel is currently reviewing the incident that took place in Jordan in accordance with the legal procedures expected in such cases. The state attorney, in coordination with the Attorney General's Office, has instructed all parties to hand over any relevant material about the incident. Israel will update Jordan on the developments and findings of the review." Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah II spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday and told him that further coordination is important to prevent renewed tensions at the volatile Temple Mount, saying the status quo must be upheld. Jordan acts as the custodian of the site, the third-holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia and the most sacred site in Judaism. The monarch also told Trump that he values the "key role" the U.S. played in defusing the latest crisis.
Jordanian protesters demand end to peace treaty with Israel
Hundreds rally near Israeli Embassy in Amman, chant "Death to Israel," call to shut embassy • Jordan's attorney general files murder charges against Israeli guard who shot two Jordanians • Foreign Ministry: We are reviewing incident, will update Jordan.
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