Interpol has approved the Palestinian Authority's membership bid, a new victory in its drive for international representation despite strong Israeli opposition.

Israel lobbies hard against Palestinian efforts to join global organisations to advance their goal of statehood. It claimed victory last year when the Palestinian bid to join the global police body was suspended.

Interpol approved the Palestinian application along with a bid by the Solomon Islands during its annual general assembly in Beijing on Wednesday.

"New member countries State of Palestine and Solomon Islands bring Interpol's membership to 192," it said on its Twitter account.

It did not detail the voting, but candidacies require the approval of a two-thirds majority of countries present at the general assembly, excluding abstentions.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation's negotiations affairs department said on Twitter they had received more than 75 percent of the vote.

"Palestine's membership is the outcome of members defending this organisation's raison d'etre and advancing its core values, and a clear rejection of attempts at cynical manipulation and political bullying," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said in a statement.

Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately comment.

Palestine gained observer status at the United Nations in 2012 and since then has joined more than 50 international organisations and agreements, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry.

Among them are the International Criminal Court and the UN heritage body, UNESCO.

Interpol, which is based in the French city of Lyon, eases the exchange of information between police forces and issues "red notices" - non-binding notifications of arrest warrants - at the request of a member state or an international tribunal.

'Israel blocks progress'

Senior Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub had told AFP news agency on Sunday that "we're looking to be in all of the international institutions, including Interpol, as an organised state."

"We are looking for the Palestinian state to be a positive contributor toward security and stability in the region and in the international community," he said.

Regarding Israel's opposition, he said: "They don't want any progress toward a Palestinian state."

"Israel does not want us to be in FIFA. How would they want us to be in Interpol?" he said.

Alan Baker, a former senior Israeli diplomat and legal expert, said the membership application was "just a political PR move" on the part of the Palestinians.

"Because they're not interested in negotiating (with Israel) they're trying to achieve the end result, which is a state, through international organisations," he said in advance of Wednesday's vote.

Baker rejected the notion that Palestinians would be able to initiate arrest warrants at will against Israelis by joining Interpol.

He said the attempt by the Palestinians "to politicise what is a super-professional organisation is very harmful to Interpol".</s>JERUSALEM (JTA) — Interpol voted to admit the State of Palestine to the world police organization despite attempts by Israel and the United States to prevent it.

On Tuesday, 75 countries voted in favor of admitting Palestine at Interpol’s General Assembly in Beijing, with 24 voting against and 34 abstaining. The Solomon Islands also was admitted, bringing Interpol to 192 members.

Israel had appealed to the Interpol Executive Committee to keep the vote on the Palestinians off the agenda on the grounds that there is no State of Palestine, including under the organization’s guidelines. The General Assembly discussed the guidelines for membership prior to the vote.

Israel is concerned that as a member of Interpol, the Palestinians will issue warrants for Israeli military and political officials, as well as gain access to sensitive, classified information.

The United States believes the unilateral move to have international bodies recognize Palestinian statehood will thwart efforts to restart the peace process.</s>Interpol approves membership for State of Palestine over Israeli objections

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Interpol voted on Wednesday to admit the State of Palestine as a member over Israeli objections at the international police organization's general assembly in Beijing.

 Original Article</s>Interpol voted on Wednesday to admit the State of Palestine as a member over Israeli objections at the international police organisation's general assembly in Beijing.

Dealt a diplomatic blow, Israel said Interpol, which is dedicated to fostering cross-border cooperation against crime and terrorism, had made the world a more dangerous place by letting the Palestinians in.

Israel had argued that Palestine is not a state and that it is ineligible to join. Under interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals, a Palestinian Authority was granted limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Shortly before the vote in the Chinese capital, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel's efforts to delay the ballot until next year had failed.

"This victory was made possible because of the principled position of the majority of Interpol members," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a statement.

Interpol said membership applications by the State of Palestine and the Solomon Islands were approved at its annual general assembly by more than the required two-thirds majority of votes. The organisation now has 192 members.

A Palestinian bid to join last year, at an Interpol conference in Indonesia, was foiled by what Israel said was its diplomatic campaign against it.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity", like the Vatican.

The step fell short of full UN membership, but it had important legal implications in enabling the Palestinians to join the International Criminal Court and other world bodies.

"By admitting 'Palestine', which praises terrorists of the past and refuses to condemn those of today, Interpol makes the world less safe," Michael Oren, Israel's deputy minister for diplomacy, wrote on Twitter.

He spoke a day after a Palestinian shot dead three Israeli guards in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ignored a call by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to condemn the attack.

Some Israeli media commentators have voiced concern that as an Interpol member, Palestine could ask the organisation to issue a "Red Notice", an alert to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual, pending extradition.

But the procedure does not appear to pose serious legal problems for Israelis such as government officials and military officers whom pro-Palestinian groups have sought to have arrested by local authorities as suspected war criminals during overseas visits.

A red notice is not an international arrest warrant, and on its website Interpol notes that it cannot compel any member country to detain an individual named in one.</s>Interpol approves membership for State of Palestine over Israeli objections

An Israeli soldier scuffles with Palestinian protesters during clashes at a protest near the West Bank town of Tubas September 27, 2017. — Reuters picTEL AVIV, Sept 28 — Interpol voted yesterday to admit the State of Palestine as a member over Israeli objections at the international police organisation’s general assembly in Beijing.

The decision came despite Israeli efforts to delay a vote and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the Palestinians’ joining the global police agency contravened signed agreements with Israel.

Israel had argued that Palestine is not a state and that it is ineligible to join. Under interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals, a Palestinian Authority was granted limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Shortly before the vote in the Chinese capital, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel’s efforts to delay the ballot until next year had failed.

“This victory was made possible because of the principled position of the majority of Interpol members,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said in a statement.

Interpol said membership applications by the State of Palestine and the Solomon Islands were approved at its annual general assembly by more than the required two-thirds majority of votes.

The organisation now has 192 members.

A Palestinian bid to join last year, at an Interpol conference in Indonesia, was foiled by what Israel said was its diplomatic campaign against it.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinian Authority’s observer status at the United Nations to “non-member state” from “entity”, like the Vatican.

The step fell short of full UN membership, but it had important legal implications in enabling the Palestinians to join the International Criminal Court and other world bodies.

Netanyahu’s statement said Palestinian membership of Interpol was one of the issues discussed during a meeting with US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, who is visiting the region.

Netanyahu also raised the Palestinian refusal to condemn an attack on Tuesday in which a Palestinian labourer shot dead three Israeli guards in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“The actions of the Palestinian leadership in the past few days directly harm the prospects of achieving peace and the Palestinian diplomatic offensive will not go unanswered,” the statement said.

Some Israeli media commentators have voiced concern that as an Interpol member, Palestine could ask the organisation to issue a “Red Notice”, an alert to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual, pending extradition.

But the procedure does not appear to pose serious legal problems for Israelis such as government officials and military officers whom pro-Palestinian groups have sought to have arrested by local authorities as suspected war criminals during overseas visits.

A red notice is not an international arrest warrant, and on its website Interpol notes that it cannot compel any member country to detain an individual named in one. — Reuters</s>JERUSALEM, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Palestine joined Interpol as a member state on Wednesday, a move opposed by Israel, in a vote at the international police organisation's general assembly in Beijing, Interpol said on Twitter.

"The State of Palestine and the Solomon Islands are now INTERPOL member countries," the tweet read.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, which said earlier that Israel's efforts to delay a vote until next year had failed, had no immediate comment on the decision. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Maayan Lubell)</s>Interpol has agreed to Palestine being a member. The move was backed by the majority of its members at their general assembly in Beijing despite strong objections from Israel.

According to Interpol’s website, Palestinian inclusion was “approved by a more than two-thirds majority vote.”

Seventy-five nations voted in favor of Palestine joining in organization, with 24 voting against and 34 abstaining in the Chinese capital, Haaretz reported.

With Solomon Islands also accepted, the number of Interpol member states now stands at 192 the organization said.

Shortly before the vote in Beijing, the Israeli foreign ministry acknowledged that it had failed in its efforts to delay Palestinian acceptance for another year, Reuters reported.

Tel Aviv said Palestine was ineligible to join Interpol due to it not being an actual state.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinian Authority’s observer status to that of a “non-member state,” allowing the Palestinians to apply for membership of international bodies.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, earlier argued that applying to become an Interpol member was in violation of existing agreements between Palestine and Israel.

Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki hailed the Interpol vote in a statement, saying that “this victory was made possible because of the principled position of the majority of Interpol members.”

“On this joyous occasion, the State of Palestine reiterates its commitment to upholding its obligations and contributing to fighting crime and furthering the rule of law,” al-Maliki added.

Israel's Environmental Protection Minister, Ze'ev Elkin, slammed the Palestinian bid to join Interpol as a “diplomatic war” against Israel.

He called on colleagues in the government to "immediately cancel all of the goodwill gestures we have made towards that Palestinian Authority and to freeze all the special permits PA (Palestinian Authority) leaders use.

Former Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who is now an opposition lawmaker, said the Interpol vote was "a bad decision – bad for Israel and bad for the war on terror."

She blamed the Israeli government for allowing the Palestinian membership to happen, saying that "when Israel abandons the diplomatic field, the Palestinians step up and take it, and, sadly, they also manage to win in ways that harm Israel."</s>Alwaght- The International Police Organization (Interpol) has approved the State of Palestine as a member despite strong opposition from the United States and Israeli regime.

Palestine was admitted alongside Solomon Islands during the organizations meeting in China, overcoming the sharp opposition from the United States and Israeli regime, who refuse to recognize the existence of Palestine as a state.

“The State of Palestine and the Solomon Islands are now INTERPOL member countries,” Interpol tweeted.

Palestinian membership was approved by 75 to 24 votes, with 34 abstentions.

Tel Aviv and Washington had both attempted to delay the vote for another year, but their petitions were denied. They opposed the measure, arguing that Palestine is “not a state.”

“This victory was made possible because of the principled position of the majority of Interpol members,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said in a statement.

"Palestine's membership is the outcome of members defending this organization's raison d'etre and advancing its core values, and a clear rejection of attempts at cynical manipulation and political bullying," al-Malki added.

The Palestinian Authority was upgraded to a “non-member state,” from its previous status as an “entity,” in 2012. It was also approved as a UNESCO member in 2011, in a move that was bitterly opposed by the US and the Israeli regime.</s>International police agency Interpol has voted to include the “State of Palestine” as a member, in a new boost to Palestinian efforts for international recognition.

Interpol announced the inclusion of the “State of Palestine” as well as the Solomon Islands on Twitter and its website Wednesday after a vote by its general assembly in Beijing.

With the new votes, Interpol will have 192 member countries. Interpol didn’t immediately announce how many members supported Palestinian membership. UNESCO also approved Palestinian membership, prompting the U.S. and Israel to suspend funding out of protest.

Interpol, based in Lyon, France, is an international clearinghouse for arrest warrants and police cooperation against cross-border crime.</s>JERUSALEM – The International Police Organization has recognized Palestine as a full member state, dealing a significant diplomatic blow to Israel, which has strenuously lobbied against Palestinian admission at Interpol’s general assembly in Beijing.

In a secret vote of representatives of the international police organisation’s members in China, Palestinian membership was approved by 75 to 24 votes, with 34 abstentions – exceeding the two-thirds requirement of yes to no votes.

“The State of Palestine and the Solomon Islands are now INTERPOL member countries,” an Interpol tweet read.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry, which said earlier that Israel’s efforts to delay a vote until next year had failed, had no immediate comment on the decision.

Israel had contended that Palestine is not a state and that it is ineligible for Interpol membership. Under interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals, a Palestinian Authority was granted limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

“This victory was made possible because of the principled position of the majority of Interpol members,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki said in a statement.

The Palestine Liberation Organization said on Twitter that more than 75 percent of Interpol members voted to approve membership.

“On this joyous occasion, the State of Palestine reiterates its commitment to upholding its obligations and contributing to fighting crime and furthering the rule of law,” Maliki said.

Palestine gained a status of “non-member state” from “entity”, like the Vatican, at the United Nations in 2012 and since then has joined more than 50 international organisations and agreements, including the international criminal court and the United Nations heritage body, Unesco.

Set up almost a century ago, Interpol was designed to help countries share police intelligence and cooperate against crime that crosses international borders, including terrorism and human trafficking. It now has 192 international members.

It is perhaps best known to the wider public for its “red notice” system, which issues requests to locate and provisionally arrest individuals pending extradition.

Interpol’s constitution also insists on its political neutrality, forbidding it from intervening in political issues.
Along with the Solomon Islands, the State of Palestine joins Interpol despite objections from Israel.