The International Police Organization, commonly referred to as Interpol, just added the Palestinian Authority into its ranks, a move that some are comparing to allowing a fox in the henhouse.
Interpol is an intergovernmental organization facilitating international cooperation of law enforcement agencies.
The vote was taken by the organization’s member states in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, against opposition by Israel. Interpol also added the Solomon Islands to its ranks, bringing its total membership up to 192.
Without surprise, the move was prompted by the United Nations, which has often been critical of Israel.
“The resolution is based on recommendations from a study carried out by the former Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel of the United Nations Hans Corell, as mandated by the General Assembly last year,” the organization said in a statement.
When Interpol announced the news on social media, it referred to the Palestinian Authority as the “State of Palestine.”
However, the PA isn’t technically a full-fledged state.
In 2012, the U.N. General Assembly recognized Palestine as a “non-member observer state.” This came one year after the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — UNESCO — approved its full membership status, prompting both the U.S. and Israel to suspend funding of the U.N. cultural agency.
The final tally was reportedly 75 countries in favor, 24 voting against, and 34 abstaining.
The organization didn’t report who voted against the resolution, but it’s fair to guess that the United States was among the “no” votes.
“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.
He described the vote as a “victory for law enforcement” as well as a “voice of confidence in the capacity of law enforcement in Palestine.”
Maliki also promised to uphold Palestinian commitments to combating crime and strengthening the rule of law.
This is by no means the first questionable move by Interpol. On August 24, 1940, Reinhard Heydrich became the president of the International Criminal Police Commission, which was Interpol’s predecessor.
If that name rings a bell, it’s because he was also Nazi Germany’s main architect of its “final solution” — the Holocaust — which resulted in the extermination of an estimated six million European Jews.
History, it could be argued, may be repeating itself. At the very least, one could say Interpol allowed a fox in the henhouse, and that seldom ends well.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He’s also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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