In what police said was ‘yet another nationalistically motivated terror attack’, a Jordanian citizen stabbed and wounded an Israeli police officers in Jerusalem’s Old City, after which the injured officers opened fire and shot the attacker dead. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the officer was walking down a street when he was attacked by a 57-year-old Jordanian who had arrived In Israel for a visit a few days earlier. The police officer was taken to the Sha’are Tzedek medical center in Jerusalem in light-to-moderate condition. In response to the incident, Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al Momani disputed the Israeli account of the attack, describing it as an “ugly crime” by Israel. The comment by the Jordanian spokesman prompted a harsh Israeli response, in which Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz accused the Jordanians of issuing an “extreme, baseless and groundless statement. Steinitz added that “Instead of apologizing for the terror attack that was committed by a Jordanian citizen who had been issued a tourist visa by Israel, Jordan cast blame on the Jewish state.” The Israeli minister further noted that “The Jordanians ought to condemn terror attacks, even when they’re against Israelis.” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi rejected the Israeli critique, saying that the accusation as if Jordan supported terrorism was baseless. The Jordanian top diplomat emphasized that “Jordan was and remains a voice of rationality and peace,” and its positions against violence and terrorism are clear to everyone.”
