BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman have temporarily withdrawn Israel’s ambassador to Jordan over fears of violent demonstrations against its embassy in Amman. According to Reuters, Ambassador Daniel Nevo and his senior staff, who routinely spend weekends in Israel, were brought back early after being warned of imminent protests similar to those seen in Cairo last week. A Foreign Ministry official told Haaretz that a protest had been organised through Facebook with 3,000 people signing up to participate, while only a few hundred are expected to participate. Israeli officials are confident that Jordanian security forces will be able to handle the situation but do not plan on taking any risks by keeping any personnel in the building. The embassy, according to protocol, is closed every weekend and diplomats live during the week in Amman without their families, so the decision comes a day before the embassy would normally be closed over the weekend.

The decision by the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister comes after the Israeli embassy in Cairo was stormed and attacked by a mob last week. Six Israeli security guards were inside a secure room in the embassy building while the protesters ransacked the premises. They were later rescued by Egyptian commandos and returned to Israel.