Jordan: Gunman Shot Dead Near Israeli Embassy

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • According to a security source, as well as Jordanian state media, a gunman fired at a police patrol near the Israeli embassy in the Rabiah neighborhood of the capital city of Amman on Sunday. The assailant was reportedly killed, while three policemen were injured.[1]
  • Following the attack, which Jordanian Communications Minister Mohamed Momani described as terrorism, police sealed off an area near the embassy. Witnesses reported ambulances and police at the scene.[2][3]
  • This comes amid rising anti-Israel sentiment in Jordan, including recent large-scale protests held in the Rabiah area over the war in Gaza.[4]
  • There have also been several clashes with police, including one incident in March where protesters in Amman threw stones and set fires, resulting in the arrests of several activists from the Muslim Brotherhood.[1]
  • Many Jordanians are of Palestinian descent, including those who were expelled from or fled the region due to the 1948 Nakba, during the creation of Israel. Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel also reportedly remains unpopular among many Jordanians.[3][5]

Sources: [1]The Jerusalem Post, [2]Asharq Al-Awsat English, [3]Middle East Monitor, [4]The Times of Israel and [5]The Guardian

Narratives

  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. This attack represents the broader threat Israel faces from neighboring Arab countries. While shootings are occurring on Jordanian soil, the Muslim Brotherhood is conducting illegal construction on Israeli land in the West Bank. With Jordan acting as a smuggling route, these groups can bring militants and weapons into Israeli territory.
  • Anti-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jordan Times. Israel can't play the victim as it conducts another Nakba. After killing 44K Palestinians and leaving 91% displaced in unsafe areas, Israel continues to block Jordan's efforts to bring aid to the starving population. Israel is the one conducting a war of terror, while Jordanians fight for peace and humanitarianism.

Predictions