Jordan has vowed a “strong, earth shaking and decisive” response to a video of the execution of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group.

The January 3rd murder of 26-year-old pilot, Muath al-Kasaesbeh, was announced Tuesday by the group.

The news came while Jordan’s King Abdullah II was in Washington DC for a state visit at the White House with Pres. Barack Obama. Abdullah II immediately cut short his visit to fly back to Amman to deal with the issue.

In response, Jordan’s military vowed its revenge would be as brutal as the execution of its much-loved pilot. Al-Kasaesbeh came from a well-known family in a large Bedouin tribe that forms the backbone of support for the Hashemite monarchy.

The Hashemite monarch addressed Jordanians on national television via a video hookup from Washington, calling the murder an act of “cowardly terror” by a deviant group bearing no connection to Islam. He asked all Jordanians to unite.

“The sentence of death pending on … Iraqi Sajida al-Rishawi will be carried out at dawn,” said an unnamed security official, speaking to the AFP news agency.

“While the military forces mourn the martyr, they emphasize his blood will not be shed in vain,” said military spokesman Mamdou al-Ameri in a statement read on Jordanian state television.

Thousands of Jordanians gathered in the pilot’s hometown of Karak, burning tires and blocking roads to demand justice and express their outrage at his death and the means used to kill him.

The United States hasn’t yet confirmed the authenticity of a video purporting to show the murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh, held captive since December 2014 by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) since his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria.

The video shows the pilot, wearing the typical orange prisoner jumpsuit, being burned alive in a cage, according to the SITE Intel Group, a Maryland-based analysis firm. A trail of gasoline is seen being poured in a trail leading up to the cage, and then set alight. The video is entitled “Healing the Believers Chests.”

Within an hour after media announced the video was uploaded to the Internet, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a somewhat restrained, almost subdued statement condemning the group for the murder.

“Should the authenticity of this video be confirmed, its just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization,” Obama said.

Shortly after, White House spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said in a statement, using another acronym for the terrorist group, “The United States strongly condemns ISIL’s actions and we call for the immediate release of all those held captive by ISIL. We stand in solidarity with the Government of Jordan and the Jordanian people.”

The government of Jordan has issued a statement confirming that a video uploaded by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) shows the execution of captive Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh, held hostage by the group since December 2014.

The 26-year-old pilot was burned to death in a metal cage by the group on January 3 — five weeks ago. He is seen in the video wearing the typical orange jumpsuit of the ISIS prisoners and a trail of gasoline is poured in a trail leading up to the cage, and then set alight. The video is entitled “Healing the Believers’ Chests.”

The date of the execution explains why the group was unable to provide the Jordanian government with any signs of life from the pilot in negotiations for a prisoner swap. It also explains why he was not seen in the execution videos involving the two Japanese captives, both of whom are now dead. A video of the second beheading was posted to the Internet just three days ago.

“This is just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement within the hour after news of the murder was announced, “should the authenticity be confirmed.”

Jordan had warned yesterday (Monday, Feb. 2) that if the ‘hero’ Kasaesbeh came to any harm, Amman would “quickly judge and sentence” all those being held on suspicion of membership in ISIS. Last week Jordan also vowed to “fast-track” the execution of the Iraqi Al Qaeda suicide bomber being held on death row that was to be swapped for the pilot, if he was killed.

Bedouin Wrath

King Abdullah’s father, the late King Hussein, declared military rule and slaughtered more than 7,000 Palestinians on September 16, 1970, in response to an attempt by Palestinian Arab fedayeen to seize his kingdom. Thousands of other Palestinians were expelled as well.

The Hashemite monarch is the oldest son of King Hussein, who was said to be a direct descendant of the founder of Islam, the 6th century prophet Muhammad. The family is Bedouin, as is the rest of the extended royal family and those who support the monarchy in Jordan.

In Bedouin culture, those who create an enemy in a blood feud, as has ISIS with Jordan, create an enemy “unto the seventh generation.” The concept of “an eye for an eye” applies, sometimes with added murders for good measure. Such feuds between individuals and extended families or other parties can continue for decades.

It is the practice of the local Council of Sheikhs to attempt to work out a “sulhah” — a peace deal — between the parties involved, in order to avoid excess and ongoing bloodshed between communities. In this case, however, such a tradition is not relevant.

It remains to be seen whether Abdullah II has the courage of his father and the fortitude to carry out the threat he has made.

Kasazbeh’s warplane was allegedly shot down over Raqqa, Syria. Photos of the pilot being dragged half-naked from a lake were flashed around the Internet by ISIS at the time. Other sources also later reported the pilot’s jet crashed in northeastern Syria during a U.S.-led coalition bombing mission against ISIS.

The terror group demanded that Jordan free female Iraqi Al Qaeda suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi, who is imprisoned in Jordan on death row for her involvement in a suicide bombing attack that killed 60 people in 2005. Her own explosives vest failed to detonate, and she was captured.

Jordan last week agreed in negotiations with the terrorist group to swap Rishawi for Kasaesbeh, but insisted the group provide proof the pilot was still alive. When Japanese journalist Kenji Goto was murdered last Friday, the execution video did not show the Jordanian pilot as the customary “next victim,” leading the Jordanians to question whether Kasaesbeh was still alive.

Nevertheless, the Hashemite Kingdom said Sunday, “We are still ready to hand over the convict Sajida al-Rishawi in return for the return of our son and our hero,” Reuters reported, despite the beheadings of both Japanese hostages with whom the pilot had allegedly been held. There were also ongoing protests in Karak, the hometown of the pilot, who was from an important Jordanian tribe that forms the main pillar of support for the Hashemite monarch.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called King Abdullah II over the weekend to thank him for his efforts in trying to secure the release of the Japanese hostage, “who was killed in cold blood and without any justification,” a palace statement revealed.

Jordan caved to the hostage threat by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Wednesday, agreeing to swap a convicted terrorist for its pilot, held captive by ISIS.

A second hostage being held with the Jordanian, Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, is still in captivity. There is no word on his status.

The deal came just minutes before the deadline was reached to execute Muaz al-Kasazbeh. “Jordan confirms that it is completely prepared to release the prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if Muaz al-Kasazbeh is released intact,” read a statement from Amman, The New York Times reported early Wednesday.

Rishawi helped murder 60 people in an attack on three hotels in Amman with three other suicide bombers. Her explosives vest failed to detonate, however, allowing her to be captured and sentenced to death for the slaughter.

The deal was arranged in response to a massive demonstration against the Jordanian government that began Tuesday evening and continued into Wednesday morning. The pilot’s father also pleaded with King Abdullah II of Jordan to swap the terrorist for his son. “Who is Sajida to us? Sajida is a burden on us, let them release her,” he said during the demonstration.

Defense Minister Moshe ‘Bogie’ Yaalon at the 168th graduation ceremony of the Israel Air Force Academy on June 26, 2014.

During an IAF flight over the Mediterranean on Monday, an F-16i pilot suffered from vertigo and wasn’t able to fly the plane.

The Navigator took over the F-16 and landed it safely.

The Air Force has decided to run refresher flight safety courses all week.

Regular operations will continue.

Here’s the first amazing story:

A young cancer patient on the way to the US with a bunch of other sick kids can’t find her passport.

With no other choice, the young girl was removed from the plane and the plane prepared to depart after a fruitless search on the plane, in the airport, everywhere. Minutes before takeoff, while the plane was taxiing to the runway, they found the passport in another child’s backpack.

Too late, no? The stewardess told the pilot – the pilot radioed the tower and was given permission to turn back. The story appears here.

As the child cried, so too did people on the plane – and the stewardesses, and people on the ground. Amazing.

And the second story…

David Finti is 19 years old. He is a Romanian Jew. While boarding a train, David was electrocuted and severely burned. The local Jewish community contacted the Jewish Agency. They recognize the collectivism of our people just as on the Israeli side it was recognized as well. And so, Israel flew the young man to Israel, making him an Israeli citizen so that he could get critical care free of charge. David and his parents were flown to Israel and are now at Hadassah’s Ein Kerem hospital. The story appears here.

Yet another story in the last few days has come to light. Israel recently managed to bring in another 17 Yemenite Jews – leaving 90 left.What amazes me is that we were able to bring another group here to Israel and more, that we know how many remain. We are watching, waiting, hoping to bring the last remnants of what was once a great community here to Israel.

It is what we do. Three stories of how Israel watches, Israel waits, Israel acts.

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