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Five weeks after the evacuation of the Israeli embassy in Jordan following the attack incident in which an Israeli security guard shot and killed two Jordanians in apparent self defense, Israeli Ambassador to Jordan Einat Shlain and the embassy staff have yet to return to Jordan, and the diplomatic crisis is far from being resolved.
During said incident, Israeli guard Ziv Moyal was allegedly stabbed by a teenaged Jordanian Muhammad al-Jawawdeh. Moyal then opened fire, killing al-Jawawdeh and Jordanian landlord Bassem al-Hamarna, who was apparently present but not part of the attack.
Jordan is currently refusing to accept Shlain's return to the embassy, after she and Moyal were photographed being received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who celebrated the guard's actions upon his return.
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L to R: Shlain, Netanyahu and Moyal upon the delegation's return to Israel (Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO)
(צילום: חיים צח, לע"מ)
Sources estimated that in light of Jordan's outright refusal, Israel will have no choice but to appoint a new ambassador, if it intends to restore normal relations with Jordan.
In the meantime, the Israel Police's investigation of Moyal's actions has not yet ended, although all the signs show that Moyal's claim of self defense holds up.
As a result, Israel-Jordanian relations have been in a state of freeze: no visas are being issued, resulting in thousands of Jordanians and Palestinians living in Jordan who cannot enter Israel through the Allenby crossing. In addition, since the incident, 163 passports of Jordanian citizens waiting to receive a visa to Israel have been held in a safe of the Israeli embassy in Jordan.
First published: 21:38, 08.30.17