Crisis over Jerusalem holy site intensifies
A deadly shooting at Israel's Embassy in Jordan further complicated Israeli government efforts yesterday to find a way out of an escalating crisis over a major Jerusalem shrine, including mass Muslim prayer protests and Israeli-Palestinian violence.
The shooting, in which an Israeli security guard killed two Jordanians after being attacked by one of them with a screwdriver, led to a diplomatic standoff between the two countries at a time when Jordan is heavily involved in efforts to defuse the crisis over the Jerusalem holy site.
Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the shrine, which is also holy to Jews.
Jordanian officials said yesterday that the guard could only leave after an investigation, according to a news site linked to Jordan's military. Israel insisted the guard has diplomatic immunity.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke to the guard and assured him that Israel has experience in dealing with such a situation and would bring him home. He said Jordan's ambassador to Israel came to the Foreign Ministry earlier yesterday "to help solve the crisis."
The drama played out as President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, headed to the Holy Land yesterday. It was the first sign of a high-level, on-the-ground attempt by the Trump administration to end the standoff between Israel and the Muslim world, reported AP.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations said yesterday Israel is working to calm the situation in Jerusalem following a flare-up of violence, but it will do whatever is necessary to maintain security at a holy site.
The escalation began earlier this month when Arab gunmen fired from the holy site, killing two Israeli policemen. In response, Israel installed metal detectors at the site, a move that incensed the Muslim world.
Israeli authorities say the metal detectors are needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the site and emerged from it to shoot the officers, reported AFP.
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