Netanyahu warmly receives soldier who killed Jordanians

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warmly received the Israeli soldier who killed two Jordanian citizens including a child – along with the staff of the Israeli embassy in Amman – when they returned to Israel on Monday, Safa news agency reported.

Amidst escalating violence from the Israeli army in response to protests at Al-Aqsa Mosque an Israeli embassy security guard shot the two Jordanians in a building used as a residence for embassy staff. Jordan initially prohibited the guard from leaving the country but Israel refused to allow Jordanian authorities to question him citing diplomatic immunity.

According to Channel 7, Safa said that the Israeli soldier Ze’ev thanked Netanyahu for the swift reaction to this issue and for facilitating his return home. Ze’ev said that he felt as if the whole country was standing behind him.

Read: Jordanians protest against Israel at funeral of shot teenager

Netanyahu said that Israel “does not forget” its citizens and returning them to Israel is always a matter of time.

The two Jordanians killed by the Israeli soldier were identified as 16-year-old Mohamed Al-Jawawdeh and the physician Bashar Al-Hamarneh, owner of the residential building where the shooting took place.

Read: Israeli embassy staff in Jordan returned to Israel