Ziv Moyal had shot dead his assailant and a bystander after being stabbed with a screwdriver in Amman. Israel described the guard’s actions as “self-defense.” Moyal’s family relocated to a relative’s residence over fear of retaliation after the Jordanian daily newspaper Al-Rad Sunday published a photo of Moyal’s official diplomatic ID card.
Moyal, 28, returned to Israel following a tense diplomatic standoff, during which Jordan sought to detain and interrogate the Israeli guard. Moyal secured himself in the embassy and Israel refused to release him into the custody of Jordanian authorities. All Israeli diplomats serving in the Arab nation, including Ambassador to Jordan Einat Shlain, returned to Israel after the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted Moyal in an event at his office July 25 in Jerusalem. Jordan’s King Abdullah blasted Netanyahu’s “political showmanship” and demanded that Moyal face “justice.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry Friday announced an investigation has been launched into the Amman incident. A Jordanian investigation said Moyal receives diplomatic immunity in accordance with the Vienna Convention, but the status “is only procedural immunity that does not exempt him from trials before international courts.”
