Israel to appoint new envoy to Jordan to restore ties

JERUSALEM, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel plans to appoint a new ambassador to Jordan in a bid to solve a diplomatic crisis over July's deadly shooting by an Israeli guard in Amman, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

According to the Hebrew-language Walla news site, the move was aimed to calm Amman's anger over the way the current Israeli ambassador, Einat Schlein, handled the incident, in which a security guard with the embassy shot and killed two Jordanian citizens.

Schlein left Jordan on July 24, following the incident, and has not come back. According to Walla news, Amman objects Schlein to return.

A spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment for Xinhua, but an official with the ministry said that Israel is "working on a solution to put the relations back on track."

In the incident, the guard killed a Jordanian workman that installed furniture in his apartment and the apartment's landlord, who witnessed the incident.

The guard's apartment was located next to the embassy, and he reported to the embassy right after the shooting, claiming he did it in self-defense. Schlein repatriated him a day after the shooting.

Amman was fumed at pictures of the warm welcoming which the guard and Schlein received from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel.

Jordan has demanded Israel to open a criminal investigation against the guard but so far Israel has failed to do so. Enditem