Debunked: Israeli man falsely identified as embassy guard who killed 2 Jordanians

Jordan

Published: 2017-07-26 10:54

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 22:20


This unidentified man was mistakenly identified as the Israeli embassy shooter.
This unidentified man was mistakenly identified as the Israeli embassy shooter.

On Wednesday, Roya News English posted two photos of a man who Jordanian social media users claimed was the Israeli guard who killed two Jordanian men at the Israeli Embassy on Sunday.

In the photos, the unidentified man is seen enjoying a night out with a woman.

Roya News English mistakenly referred to the unknown man as the Israeli guard, based on other Arab media reports. We would like to clarify that that is not the case.

Ynet, an Israeli news site, reported on Thursday that the man in the photos was an Israeli citizen, but was not the embassy guard. He spoke out to deny any connection to the killings in Amman.

However, Jordanians on Thursday were still reeling at the news of the Israeli guard’s return to Tel Aviv.

The Jordanian online community argued that letting the guard “walk free” is a “slap on the face.”

This photo of the guard upon arriving in Tel Aviv on Monday added insult to injury, where he is seen being warmly embraced by Israeli PM Netanyahu, who reportedly told him: “You acted well and you represent the ‘State of Israel.’”

Seventeen-year-old Mohammad Al Jawawda and Dr. Bashar Hamarneh were shot dead by the Israeli guard following an argument inside a residential building used by the Israeli embassy.

The Israeli government alleges that Jawawda attacked the guard with a screwdriver, and that he subsequently fired his weapon in self defence.

On Wednesday, the Jordanian government said that it will not allow the return of the Israeli Ambassador or her staff to Jordan, until the Israeli guard has been brought to justice.

The government tasked Justice Minister Awad Abu Jarad with following up on the controversial Israeli Embassy case in order to “achieve criminal justice.”

Abu Jarad’s team comprises of State Minister for Legal Affairs Bisher, Khasawneh, and a legal representative of the Foreign Ministry, who will together “recommend a plan for well-planned legal action at all levels, including internationally if necessary, and to be prepared for the stage that follows the prosecution’s completion of the investigation, the trial and the verdict.”