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Anger in Israel as Jordanian media identifies guard at centre of embassy shooting

Family of guard leave their home in Israel out of fear for their safety

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Jordanian media outlets have published the name and photograph of the security guard involved in the shooting incident at the Israeli Embassy in Amman last week.

In a move viewed as provocative by some in Israel, Jordan’s al-Rai newspaper published the diplomatic ID card of Ziv Hai Mordechai Moyal.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry issued it to him on August 10, 2016, and it is valid  for one year.

Israel had refrained from releasing his name or picture.

The actions of the Jordan media have prompted the family of the Israeli guard to leave their home in a moshav in southern Israel and move in with relatives out of fear for their safety.

Jordan Times columnist Daoud Kuttab, speaking to The Jerusalem Post from Amman, said: “People want him to be tried for the crime he did. They don’t want to see him hanging out in Tel Aviv. They want some kind of justice.

“The anger is mostly at Israel but also at the Jordanian government - people don’t understand how he would be able to get away with murder.”

Jordan has said it will refuse to allow Israel’s embassy staff to return unless a trial takes place.

According to Ynet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Shin Bet, to  investigate the incident.

The security officer was stabbed and slightly wounded by a screwdriver-wielding worker who had entered the embassy compound to replace some furniture, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.

The worker, Muhammad Jawawdah, 17, was shot dead by the guard, who was acting in self-defence, according to the ministry.

The guard also fatally shot Bashar al-Hamarneh, a doctor who, according to Jordan’s Petra news agency “happened to be there when the incident occurred as he is the owner of the building.”

Staff at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan, including Mr Moyal, had returned to Israel the day after the incident on July 23.  Jordan initially demanded the guard be handed over for questioning.

But after he was allowed to leave Jordan Israel’s Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu hosted the security guard and Israel’s ambassador to Jordan, Einat Shlain, in his Jerusalem 

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