Jordanian protesters gathered near the Israeli Embassy in Amman on Friday, calling for an end to the historic peace treaty between the two nations.
Some 200 people chanted “Death to Israel,” according to Reuters, but were unable to approach the embassy due to a heavy Jordanian police guard that sealed off the area around the building.
The demonstrators were angry that a security officer at the embassy was returned safely to Israel after he shot and killed a teenage attacker last Sunday.
Mohammad Jawawdah stabbed the officer in the back and chest with a screwdriver in an apparent terrorist attack. A second Jordanian who tried to separate the two was killed by a stray bullet.
Jordanian Police at first refused to allow the officer to leave the country, insisting on taking him into custody for interrogation, despite his diplomatic immunity. Israel refused to turn him over and all 30 staff members at the embassy opted to stay in the country, including Ambassador Einat Schlain, rather than leave him behind.
High-ranking discussions between the United States, Jordan and Israel eventually resolved the matter, leading to the officer giving a statement to Jordanian police at the Israeli embassy. One hour later, the entire staff of the embassy returned to Israel, including Schlain and the officer.
The embassy has been closed ever since, and it is unclear when, or if, it will reopen.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II demanded on Thursday that Israel place the officer on trial for murder, slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for welcoming him home with an embrace. Abdullah said the prime minister’s behavior was “provocative on all fronts and enrages us, destabilizes security and fuels extremism.”
Jordanian elements have also been deeply involved in the incitement against Israel surrounding the disturbances these past two weeks over the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu underscored his promise to bring the officer home safely, and reiterated his understanding that he had been attacked and defended himself, and not the other way around.