Prime Minister: Jordan will Deal ‘Firmly’ with Attackers on Israeli Diplomat

Published December 6th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb on Wednesday told AFP his country will deal "firmly" with the attackers of an Israeli diplomat who was shot and wounded the previous day in Amman. 

"We are going to deal very firmly" with the assailants of Israeli diplomat Shlomo Razabi who was shot and wounded in the foot Tuesday in western Amman, Abu Ragheb said. 

Shlomo Razabi, an Israeli administrative employee with diplomatic status, was shot and wounded in the foot Tuesday as he drove his car in western Amman.  

"We will impose law and order in the country and we will not allow any violation of the rights of the Jordanian people or foreigners on our territory," Abu Ragheb added. 

A high-ranking official told the agency that Jordan will take all measures to protect the Israeli diplomats, and vows that Jordan will preserve security. 

"We firmly reject any violation of our country's security and any attack against diplomats accredited in Jordan," the official said. 

"We are determined to reveal the circumstance of this attack and those responsible for it," he added, reiterating Jordan's condemnation of (Tuesday's) shooting. 

An underground Islamic group, the Movement for the Struggle of the Jordanian Islamic Resistance, claimed Tuesday's shooting of an Israeli diplomat in Jordan, a statement received by AFP said Wednesday. 

The group said it carried out "a surprise attack with machine-guns on a Zionist diplomat in Jabal Amman," in the second such incident involving Israeli diplomats in Jordan in two weeks. 

The same movement had claimed, also in a statement from Beirut, the November 19 shooting that wounded Israeli Vice Consul Yoram Havivian in the leg and in the hand as he was heading to the embassy in Amman. 

Spokesman for the embassy Ro'i Gilaad told Albawaba.com at the Arab Heart Center that Shlomo Razabi was injured "lightly" when he was shot in the leg.  

Albawaba.com's correspondent saw two bullet holes in the left side of the car.  

Journalists were banned from entering the hospital, where another Israeli diplomat received treatment two weeks ago after he came under a similar attack by an anonymous person.  

"As we have warned before in the two previous attacks on Zionist diplomats, we are warning the Zionist entity in this third attack on the Zionist diplomat that it has to exit our dear country Jordan," the group said in their statement. 

It said the attack was carried out by "the group of the hero Ahmad al-Daqamsa, affiliated with the Movement for the Struggle of the Jordanian Islamic Resistance," according to the agency. 

"We also warn all Jordanian businessmen who have economic interests with the Zionists in Jordan to end this partnership because the Zionist factories and interests will be targeted by our attacks," said the statement. 

In the meantime, Israel prepared Wednesday to send home "unnecessary" embassy staff and their family members, Haaretz newspaper said. 

Razabi was flown back to Israel Wednesday for medical treatment, said the paper. 

He told the Israeli radio that in recent weeks, "employees of the Israeli embassy in Amman have felt in danger of attempts on their lives."  

But he praised the work of Jordanian security forces, according to the paper - (Several Sources)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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