King of Jordan urges ‘provocative’ Netanyahu to put Israeli embassy shooter on trial

“The Israeli prime minister is required to honor his responsibilities and take the necessary legal measures to ensure that the killer is tried and justice is served, rather than exhibiting political showmanship in dealing with this crime to score personal political points,” Abdullah said at a meeting of the National Policies Council at his Al Husseiniya Palace near the capital Amman, with statements later being posted to an official Twitter account.

“Such conduct is utterly rejected and provocative. It angers us all, threatens regional security, and fuels extremism. It is absolutely unacceptable,” added the monarch.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a personal audience to the guard, whose name has only been released as Ziv, praised him for acting “well and calmly” and told him that he “represents the State of Israel and Israel doesn’t forget that for a moment.”

Last Sunday, Ziv shot 17-year-old Mohammed Jawawdeh, a furniture assembler, who attempted to attack him while on the job inside the embassy compound. A second man, bystander Bashar Hamarneh, was also killed by a gunshot, which the Israeli said was unleashed in self-defense.

The incident, the most serious since Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994, has provoked a diplomatic crisis between the neighboring states. Israeli staff were allowed to evacuate from the country, over local objections, but Jordanian media reported on Thursday that they would only be allowed to return if Ziv, who was under diplomatic protection, faces criminal charges.