Salah Al-Arouri -Flash 90
Human rights attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner urges Interpol to arrest Hamas terrorist Saleh Al-Arouri and have him stand trial.
By Ben Ariel – Arutz Sheva
In the wake of the Palestinian Authority (PA) being accepted to Interpol, human rights attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, of the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, on Wednesday called on Interpol to arrest senior Hamas terrorist Saleh Al-Arouri and have him stand trial in Israel and/or the United States.
Darshan-Leitner represents the family of Naftali Frenkel, one of the three Israeli teens who were kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists in 2014, in an attack orchestrated by Al-Arouri.
“Due to the international nature of this matter and Al-Arouri’s movement between various jurisdictions with varying levels of relations with Israel, Interpol’s assistance in obtaining the arrest and trial of Al-Arouri for his involvement in these murders is essential,” Darshan-Leitner wrote in a letter to Interpol.
“Accordingly, we urge Interpol to take all required steps to locate and obtain the arrest of Saleh Al-Arouri for the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrah and Gilad Sha’ar, and for the murder of Rabbi Eitan and Na’ama Henkin,” she added.
“We sincerely hope that you will support our efforts to have Saleh Al-Arouri arrested and tried… and not allow the perpetrators of terror against innocent civilians to remain at large when there exist viable legal avenues to bring them to justice.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Interpol’s General Assembly voted via secret ballot to recognize “Palestine” as a member state, with 76% of Interpol’s 190 member states voting to accept the PA.
Both Israel and the United States had opposed the move, on the grounds that the PA is not a sovereign state, and that recognition of Palestinian statehood outside of the framework of a negotiated settlement makes a final status agreement all but impossible.
President Reuven Rivlin, in a conversation with American Jewish leaders on Wednesday, condemned Interpol’s decision to accept the PA as a member.
“This decision will harm Interpol’s ability to fight international terror. This is not a decision based on professional need. It is absolutely a political decision. It is very sad, that the Palestinians have been able to politicize another professional body, as part of their campaign to undermine peace talks and delegitimize Israel,” he said.