I

srael chased after the king of Jordan for no less than six months in an attempt to resolve an incident at the Israeli embassy compound in Amman in July 2017, when an embassy security guard shot and killed two people: a 17-year-old, who stabbed him, and a doctor who happened by and tried to defuse the situation.

Jordan is Israel’s “back door” in the east and Jerusalem has great respect for the kingdom’s security forces. Strategic relations are important to both countries; when necessary, the gate is opened and the convoy passes through.

Immediately following the incident, members of the Jordanian parliament demanded to annul the peace treaty with Israel, as did the Jordanian street. So when Israel asked King Abdullah to help reach an arrangement, he insisted on four conditions: a public apology, compensation for the families of those killed, charges against the security guard, and replacing the embassy staff.

An agreement along the lines of Jordan’s terms had been reached two months ago, but it was then put on hold following President Trump’s Jerusalem announcement. Then, last week, the entire arrangement almost blew up. What happened?

A Jordanian minister announced to local media that Israel had expressed deep regret for the incident, and the families of the victims announced in front of news cameras that they’d received ample compensation. Furthermore, the minister said, the ambassador had been fired, and Israel had committed to continuing legal proceedings against the security guard.

The following day, however, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office publicized a slightly different version, mentioning only a few vague “understandings” that led to the closure of the matter, and stressing the importance of strategic ties between the two countries — not a word of apology, regret, or compensation.

Jordan was furious, and Netanyahu felt the wrath all the way in India. In the end, he was forced to rewrite the official version. So, for your information: Israel has expressed remorse (but is not apologizing); Israel will pay compensation ($5 million) to the Jordanian government (which will transfer the money to the families); and Israel will continue investigating the circumstances of the shooting. At the same time, a tender has been issued for the position of Israeli ambassador to Jordan.

(Excerpted from Mishpacha, Issue 695)