Palestine's Membership On Agenda of Interpol Meeting

Nusa Dua, 8 Safar 1438/8 November 2016 (MINA) – The 85th Interpol General Assembly kicked off on Monday in the Indonesian island of Bali, with the agenda expected to focus on the membership of Palestine.

Around 830 delegates, including police chiefs from 164 of the 190 member countries, are taking part in the meeting, set to continue till Thursday, the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported.

The subject of Palestine’s incorporation as a member state, after it presented its request more than one year ago, is expected to be discussed amid strong opposition from Israel.

Palestinian Foreign Ministry undersecretary, Tayseer Jaradat, said a Palestinian delegation has carried out negotiations to garner support for Palestine’s membership bid.

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He added that in case current endeavors do not turn out well in Today’s meeting, another application will be submitted in Interpol’s next gathering.

He said pressure and blackmails by Israel have been underway to overthrow the bid.

To be admitted, Palestine requires the support of two-thirds plus one of the 190 members, which could become a possibility, as 130 countries have already recognized Palestine as a state.

Most European and western countries, however, are hesitant to grant this recognition considering that the establishment of the Palestine state should be a result of definitive peace agreement with Israel, marking the extent of their borders.

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Palestine was granted an observer status at the UN in 2012, and since then it has joined several bodies such as UNESCO and the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in a bid to be recognized as an independent state internationally.(T/P008/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)