The incident in which two Jordanian citizens were shot dead by an Israeli security guard is still being held at the Israeli embassy by the Jordanians who want to interrogate him, while the embassy staff wants to evacuate him to a hospital in Israel.

An initial investigation into the incident revealed that the staff lived near the Israeli embassy in Amman. The owner of the apartment came and worked to install furniture in the bedroom. One of the workers, Muhammad Joada, 17, tried to stab a security guard with his back and reportedly also the owner of the apartment – a doctor by profession. The security guard immediately jumped up and shot and killed the worker. The owner of the apartment was transported to the hospital where he died of his wounds. It is still not clear whether the security guard shot him or that he was also injured by the worker’s stabbing.

The incident, which is being investigated in all the media, raises diplomatic tensions since the Jordanians demand to question the Israeli security guard. Israel claims that it enjoys immunity under the Vienna Convention and wants to return him to Israel along with the other embassy employees.

Members of the Jordanian boy’s family demonstrated in front of the embassy building and demand his arrest and punishment in full severity. “We have absolute confidence in Jordanian law, which will impose on the criminal the most severe punishment – the death penalty”, is there statement.

Since the incident, some 30 embassy employees have been besieged and cannot return to Israel, since the Jordanians demand that the security guard be interrogated and the team refuses to leave the security guard alone in the embassy.

Political sources estimate that Jordan too, knows that this is a terrorist attack, but is exploiting the tension on Har Habayis in order to garner political capital. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday night with Ambassador Einat Schlein and the security guard, while at the same time the Foreign Ministry is working to bring the entire team back to Israel.

The Israeli security establishment believes that this is a nationalistic attack against the backdrop of the magnetometers and the metal detector on Har Habayis after the attack, in which two policemen were shot to death.

On the other hand, the father of the deceased in Jordan claims that his son did not even know that they were Jews. “If we knew we would not permit them in the store, it would not be our honor,” he said, adding that “our son argued with this guy and we do not know if he slapped him or punched him, but how do you then pull a gun? This is the whole truth, that’s all that’s happening, and I hope our voice will reach the whole world. In spirit and blood, we will redeem you, Shahid”.

The Political-Security Cabinet is set to begin meeting today, Monday Rosh Chodesh Av, at 2:00PM to discuss the situation in Jordan and Har Habayis.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)