Palestine officially joined Interpol as a member state on Wednesday, in a vote at the international police organization’s general assembly in Beijing, Reuters reported.
Despite Israel's attempts to delay the vote until next year and denying Palestine its right to full independence and statehood, “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.
Gaining 75 votes out of 133, Interpol announced the decision via Twitter:
People are celebrating the latest decision:
In 2012, the UN General Assembly upgraded the Palestinian Authority’s observer status at the United Nations from “entity” to “non-member state,” just like the Vatican.
"The key is the final word, which confers UN legitimacy on Palestinian statehood and, while it cannot vote at the general assembly, it will enjoy other benefits, such as the chance to join international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC)," The Guardian wrote at the time.
Israel and the U.S. immediately condemned the resolution. The 193-member assembly voted 138 in favor, with only nine against and 41 abstentions.