Jordan’s King Abdullah II lashed out at Israel’s prime minister on Thursday, saying everyone in the kingdom was “infuriated” by what he called “unacceptable and provocative behavior” in connection with a deadly shooting at Israel’s Embassy in Amman earlier this week. The monarch’s unusually harsh language appeared aimed, in part, at defusing widespread anger in Jordan over the shooting in which an Israeli Embassy guard killed two Jordanians, including a 16-year-old, AP reported. Authorities have said the guard opened fire after the teen attacked him with a screw driver during a furniture delivery. The guard returned to Israel a day later because of diplomatic immunity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the guard warmly at his office and said he had acted “calmly.” The guard’s speedy return home and Netanyahu’s praise of him further inflamed public opinion in Jordan where a 1994 peace treaty with Israel remains deeply unpopular. Several hundred Jordanians chanted “Death to Israel” in a protest near Israel’s Embassy on Friday before being dispersed by security forces. Friday’s protest was another sign of growing tensions between the two countries.
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