Palestine takes its first step as Interpol member state
Palestinian officials say that joining interpol will allow them to fight crime more efficiently, and reject claims that they will use membership to target Israeli officials.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — On Oct. 12, at a meeting in Ramallah of the committee formed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to follow up on his country’s accession to Interpol, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah decided to establish the Interpol National Central Bureau for Palestine.
This comes after Interpol approved the membership of the Palestinian territories at its 86th General Assembly meeting held in Beijing, China, on Sept. 27, with 75 voting countries backing the Palestinian membership.
In a Sept. 27 statement, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki welcomed Palestine’s admission to Interpol, describing it as “a reflection of confidence in the Palestinian territories’ ability to enforce the law and abide by the fundamental values of the organization.”
The Palestinian Authority (PA) had officially submitted an application to join Interpol in 2015, arguing that membership would help it pursue and prosecute outlaws wanted for criminal and corruption charges.
