Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has pledged that Israel will bring the embassy security officer wounded in Sunday night’s terror attack back home, despite an ongoing diplomatic crisis with Jordan.
The officer, who is stationed at the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, was stabbed Sunday night by a Jordanian terrorist in his residence adjacent to the embassy complex.
After he was stabbed, the officer opened fire, killing the terrorist. A second Jordanian citizen was also killed in the incident, apparently from stray fire.
In the wake of the attack, Jordanian officials have demanded Israel turn over the wounded officer for interrogation by Amman police – a violation of the diplomatic immunity enjoyed by embassy staff.
Israel has refused the demand, prompting the Jordanian government to issue an order barring the officer’s exit from Jordan.
On Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the crisis during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Georgia.
“I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador to Jordan, Einat Schlein, twice last night and with the security official,” Netanyahu said. “I was impressed by how well she has handled things, and I promised the security officer that we will make sure to return him home [to Israel], we already have experience with [matters like] this.”
“I told them that we are holding joint talks with security and government officials in Amman at all levels to try and end this incident as quickly as possible,” Netanyahu added.
“The Jordanian ambassador to Israel came to the [Israeli] Foreign Ministry this morning for talks, and he was asked to help in the matter [of returning the officer].”
“We are also maintaining contacts through a variety of other channels with one goal in mind…to bring back our people to Israel.”
