FM seeks new ambassador to Jordan
With apology, $5 million compensation payment, Foreign Ministry seeks to resume Amman embassy operations with new ambassador, move beyond diplomatic crisis sparked by 2 deadly incidents; Previous Amb. Schlein not welcome back.
The Foreign Ministry began the search Tuesday for a person to fill the ambassadorial position to Jordan, as the previous ambassador, Einat Schlein, will not be returning to her post.
At this point, though the position needs to be filled immediately, the search is limited to Foreign Ministry staff.
This comes in the wake of the agreement that brought an end to the diplomatic crisis with Jordan, sparked by the killing of two of its citizens by an Israeli embassy security guard.
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel agreed to pay compensation to the families of those killed in the July incident at the embassy as well as to the family of a Jordanian judge, Raed Zeiter who was killed by Israeli forces at the Allenby Border Crossing under unclear circumstances in March, 2014.
Netanyahu said that regret was conveyed to the Jordanian government alone, and not to the families of those killed. The Jordanian newspaper "al-Rad" reported that the compensation fee was five million dollars.
Government sources say that the compensation process to end the crisis took two months and was presided over by the prime minister and a Mossad agent.
The Prime Minister's Office announced that the embassy in Jordan will immediately resume its regular operations and that the relevant agencies in Israel will continue the investigation into the July incident.
"Israel considers the strategic relationship with Jordan to be of utmost importance and will continue to enhance cooperation between the two countries," said the source.
In March 2014, Jordanian judge of Palestinian descent, Raed Zeiter, was shot dead at the Allenbey border crossing after trying to attack an IDF soldier and snatch his weapon.
In late July 2017, an Israeli embassy guard shot dead a Jordanian teenager who stabbed him with a screwdriver. The Jordanian owner of the property rented by the Israeli embassy was hit by a stray bullet and killed. This led to the evacuation of the embassy in Amman.
