BICOM

Israel and Jordan have exchanged charged statements following the stabbing of a police officer in Jerusalem by a Jordanian citizen.

On Saturday, Mohammed Abdullah Salim al-Kasaji, 57, attacked a police officer with two knives on Chain Gate Street in the Old City, causing moderate injuries. The attacker was shot and killed by the police officer.

Jordanian Media Affairs and Communications Minister and government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani said after the incident: “The Israeli government, as the authority responsible for the occupation, bears responsibility for the shooting of the Jordanian citizen in East Jerusalem today, which led to his death.”

The Prime Minister’s Bureau responded that it was “outrageous to hear of the support that the Jordanian government spokesman gave to the terrorist attack… just as Israel condemns terror attacks in Jordan, Jordan must condemn terror attacks in Israel.”

Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz accused the Jordanians of issuing an “extreme, baseless and groundless statement” that cast blame on Israel instead of apologising for the attack, and linked the Jordanian response to the wider issue of terror incitement against Israel “on the Arab street”.

On Sunday, there were indications Jordan tried to moderate its position. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that “Jordan was and remains a voice of rationality and peace, and our positions against violence and terrorism are clear to everyone”.

However, another Jordanian official quoted yesterday by the Associated Press said that Jordan did not accept Israel’s premise since the incident, “as bad as it was,” took place on occupied territory.

The police have stressed that this was the fifth attack perpetrated in the Old City in the last month. Each of the attacks was carried out on for personal motives and most of the assailants were neutralised by security personnel deployed throughout the city and near the Old City.