Does Israel sill have a diplomatic relationship with Jordan? Well, yes and no, judging by the fact that the successful resolution of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries has resulted in sneaking off the Israeli ambassador and her embassy staff back home through the border crossing.
The growing consensus among Jordan experts is that the days of the Hashemite Kingdom are numbered, and soon the dubious relationship between Israel and its poverty-stricken neighbor to the east will be terminated by History.
Amman Police reported late Monday the result of their investigation of an argument over “delay in delivering furniture to the embassy staff member’s apartment” by the Jordanian “victim.” The argument developed into a physical attack with a screwdriver on the embassy employee, who is part of the embassy’s security force, by Mohammad Jawawdeh, 16 causing him injuries. The diplomat responded with gunfire that also hit the building’s owner, who died of his injuries later in the day.
According to a senior Israeli official, during the talks held by the head of the Shin Bet security service—sent to Amman to discuss the crisis—a solution was found to enable the release of the Israeli embassy employee and the evacuation of the Israeli staff from the embassy.
The official told Ha’aretz that Israel refused to allow the embassy employee to be interrogated, but agreed that Jordanian police come to the embassy compound and in the presence of Israeli diplomats hear from the employee a statement with his description of the incident. On Monday evening police arrived at the embassy and heard the statement.
A short while later, the entire embassy staff boarded a convoy to the Allenby Bridge border crossing.
Saleh Armouti, former president of the Jordan Bar Association and currently an MP, told the Jordan Times the Israeli embassy staffer should be tried under the Jordanian Penal Code, which governs any crime committed on Jordanian soil, whether by a Jordanian or a foreigner.
“He does not enjoy any immunity, whether legal or diplomatic,” Armouti insisted. “This is a murder and he should be tried for committing such a murder. […] Working as a security guard does not give him the immunity to kill defenseless Jordanians.”