International police agency Interpol voted Wednesday to include Palestine as a member state, in a new boost to Palestinian efforts for international recognition and influence amid long-stalled negotiations with Israel for full statehood. Interpol didn’t immediately announce how many members supported Palestinian membership. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak called it “another failure” for Netanyahu. The Palestinian prime minister applied for Interpol membership in 2015, and submitted a formal letter this July promising not to use the organisation “for any political, military, racial or religious interventions or activities” and promising to cooperate with Interpol activities, according to minutes of the Interpol meeting. The approval vote requires the Palestinians to pay membership dues worth 0.03% of the Interpol budget.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 27, 2017 11:48 UTC