Report: Israeli Ambassador in Jordan to Be Banned Until Security Guard Trial

While the Israeli security guard who shot an Arab terrorist after a stabbing attack was granted an exit permit to go home, Israel’s ambassador to Jordan will not be allowed to return to Amman, according to reports in Jordanian media Thursday. The reports quoted Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman a-Safadi as saying that the ambassador would be banned from returning to Jordan until the security guard, known as Ziv, was put on trial for “murdering” two Jordanian citizens.

The guard shot a 17-year-old terrorist Sunday night who attacked him while doing work in an apartment rented by the Israeli embassy in Amman. Unintentionally, the guard also wounded in the incident the owner of the apartment, who eventually died of his wounds. The guard immediately went to the embassy, with Jordanian officials demanding that he be surrendered. Israel refused, citing diplomatic immunity.

After hours of negotiations, Jordan issued authorization for the security guard to leave. Under international laws and covering diplomatic immunity, Israel is required to question Ziv. The transcript and findings of the interrogation will be forwarded to Jordan. He could be prosecuted in Israel if police find cause to do so, police said. And Jordan will insist that he be prosecuted and put on trial; otherwise, Israel’s ambassador in Jordan, Einat Shalin, will be held “hostage” in order to ensure that a trial takes place, the Jordanian reports said.

In an interview with Sky News Arabic Service on Wednesday, Safadi also criticized the Israeli reception for Ziv. The security guard was met by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and congratulated on his safe return. Netanyahu told Ziv that he was “happy to see you, and happy that things worked out. You acted appropriately – logically and with determination. We had an obligation to bring you home, and we did.” Safadi said that the reception for Ziv was “shameful and unacceptable. Any reception for this man should have been much more low-key.”

The Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the reports.