Israeli Embassy Guard Who Shot 2 Jordanians Returns To Israel; Talks Of Removing Metal Detectors At Har Habyis

The staff of Israel’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, returned to Israel on Monday night, bringing a 28-hour-long crisis to an end. This included a security guard who shot dead two Jordanians after he was attacked by one of them.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Ambassador Einat Shalin and the security guard – whom he addressed as “Ziv” – upon their return to Israel through the Allenby Bridge crossing.

כמה טוב שבאתם הביתה! pic.twitter.com/1EDtmGyfWi

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 24, 2017

The crisis had been triggered by a shooting Sunday in which an Israeli embassy guard killed two Jordanians after one attacked him with a screwdriver. Jordan initially said the guard could only leave after an investigation, while Israel said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.

Earlier Monday, Shin Bet Director Nadav Argman flew to Amman to end the standoff, which resulted after Jordanian authorities wanted to interrogate the guard over the incident and refused to release him to Israel. Netanyahu also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II later in the day.

A statement by the Prime Ministers office said:

“Personnel from the Israeli Embassy in Jordan, headed by Ambassador Einat Shlein crossed the Allenby Bridge into Israel earlier this evening. Among the staff was the security guard who was injured last night in a stabbing attack in Amman. All are well. The return of the Embassy personnel was made possible thanks to the close cooperation over the past 24 hours between Israel and Jordan. PM Netanyahu spoke a short time ago with Ambassador Shlain and the security guard, inquired after their well-being and welcomed them.”

The relatively swift end to the standoff could signal progress toward ending another crisis, after Israel placed metal detectors at Har Habayis following the terror attack which claimed the lives of two police officers.

Israel has said the metal detectors are a needed security measure to prevent future attacks. On Monday, there were growing signs Israel was testing alternative security arrangements.

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