Israel Evacuates Embassy in Jordan as Protest Looms
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman ordered the early evacuation of Israel’s embassy in Jordan on Wednesday, over fears of violent anti-Israel protests similar to those which erupted in Cairo last week.
Protocol stipulates that all employees return to Israel every weekend, with the exclusion of one diplomatic representative as well as a security team.
On Wednesday, however, it was affirmed that Israel had decided to vacate its Jordanian embassy a day earlier than schedule, following fears of violent protests outside the embassy building, expected to take place on Thursday and throughout the weekend.
A senior Foreign Ministry official told Haaretz that the planned protest was organized on Facebook, adding that more than 3,000 signed up to participate.
However, officials estimated that only a few several hundred will actually arrive, adding that they were confident that Jordanian security forces would disperse the rally before it got out of hand.
“Jordan has a ‘responsible adult’ and they will not allow for riots similar to those which took place in Cairo,” one Foreign Ministry official said, adding that “the embassy was closed a day ahead of schedule just to be sure.”
For more, go to Haaretz.com
