Jordanians say change of Israeli envoy not enough to improve ties

AMMAN: Jordanians have rejected Israel’s attempt to improve relations with their country by changing its ambassador and paying compensation for the killing in July of two Jordanians at the Israeli Embassy in Amman.

Israeli media reported Wednesday that Israel has agreed to send a different ambassador to Amman than Einat Schlein, who left Jordan hurriedly in July with the Israeli security guard who killed the Jordanians.

“Jordan made two clear demands: That the security guard is seriously questioned and put on trial, and that Schlein not return,” Jordanian MP Nabil Gheishan told Arab News.

Gheishan comes from the town of Madaba, as did Bashar Hamarneh, an elderly doctor who was killed at the embassy.

Gheishan said Hamarneh’s family are not interested in compensation now, adding: “Compensation should be paid after the trial, not instead of a court case.”

Aroub Souboh, a Jordanian TV presenter and a leading social media influencer, said improving relations with Jordan requires much more than simply a change of ambassador.

“In addition to a proper trial of the killer, two other Jordanians were killed by Israeli soldiers. That must also be resolved,” Souboh told Arab News, referring to the 2014 shooting at King Hussein Bridge of Judge Raed Zeiter, and that of tourist Said Hayel Al-Amr outside Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate in 2016.

Mohammad Ersan, the popular presenter of a talk show on Radio Al-Balad in Amman, told Arab News: “The change of ambassador is an attempt to cover up the case and allow Jordan to drop its demand for a trial of the killer. This won’t go down well with the Jordanian public, who’ve shown solidarity with the government position.”

Ersan believes a better solution would be that Israel agrees to the popular demand that Jordanians held in Israel jails complete their prison terms in Jordan.

“This will be well received, and can help Jordan resolve its differences with Israel with a much better face-saving solution,” he said.

While Jordan’s relations with Israel deteriorated following the July killing, Amman has improved its working relationship with the Palestinian Authority, holding a high-level meeting of the Jordanian Palestinian Committee in October after a three-year hiatus.