Israel appoints new envoy to Jordan

The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the appointment of government Middle East specialist Amir Weissbrod as Israel’s new envoy to Jordan on Monday, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The appointment comes following the reopening of the Israeli embassy in Jordan last week, which had been closed since a deadly shooting by an Israeli security guard in July left two Jordanians dead. Amman had reportedly demanded Israel replace the previous ambassador Einat Schlein, although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that she will receive a “senior position” elsewhere.

Embassy staff had been hurriedly evacuated following the shooting to prevent Jordanian authorities interrogating the guard and taking any legal action

Amman had previously demanded a homicide trial for the guard, whose repatriation under diplomatic immunity and hero’s welcome by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angered Jordanians. The incident also saw hundreds of Jordanians take to the streets in protest, calling for the 1994 peace treaty with Israel to be scrapped.

Read: Jordan’s king says East Jerusalem must be capital of Palestinian state

However, last month, shortly before US Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to the region, Jordan announced that Israel had formally apologised for the deaths of the two citizens, would pay compensation to the families and pursue legal proceedings.

Yet Netanyahu later told reporters last month that Israel did not “apologize” for the incident, but rather expressed regret and that it would not prosecute the guard in question, but would review protocols surrounding the actions taken by the guard, Ze’ev Moyal, and his conduct.

Israel also clarified that it would not pay damages to the next of kin directly, but would instead provide a $5 million lump sum for the Jordanian government to disburse as compensation, that source said. The money is also meant to cover the needs of the family of a Jordanian shot dead by an Israeli border guard in 2014.

Jordan is a staunch regional ally of the US and despite having condemned the decision of President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, emphasised the importance of the US remaining as a mediator in the peace process earlier this month.

Read: Jordan’s King – ‘Amman is paying attention to Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem’