Paris (AFP) – Palestinian authorities have arrested a key suspect in an antisemitic attack on a Jewish restaurant in Paris which left six people dead in 1982, French prosecutors said on Friday, as France gears up to recognise a Palestinian state.
The deadliest antisemitic atrocity in France since World War II was blamed on the Palestinian militant Abu Nidal Organisation, which was categorised as a terror group by the US and Europe.
Hicham Harb, now 70, is suspected of leading the attackers in the gun assault on the Jo Goldenberg restaurant in Paris's Marais district, a historically Jewish quarter. He has been the subject of an international arrest warrant for 10 years.
The surprise announcement comes as France gears up to formally recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a move that has been welcomed by the Palestinian Authority but bitterly denounced by Israel.
The office of the French anti-terror prosecutor said it was informed by Interpol of Harb's arrest and welcomed "this major procedural breakthrough".
It thanked the Palestinian authorities for their cooperation.
Golden days are gone, but Paris's Jewish quarter still has rich story to tell
President Emmanuel Macron hailed the announcement, saying the suspect had been arrested in the occupied West Bank.
"I welcome the excellent cooperation with the Palestinian Authority," he said on X. "We are working together to ensure his swift extradition."
"This is another step forward for justice and truth. My thoughts are with all the families who have endured the pain of waiting for so long."
'Our determination'
Harb is one of six men suspected of playing a role in the attack.
The man, whose real name is Mahmoud Khader Abed Adra, is suspected of having supervised the attack and having been one of the gunmen.
In July, a French judge ordered a trial for the six suspects. Two of them are in France, while four others are subject to arrest warrants.
Abou Zayed, a 66-year-old Norwegian of Palestinian origin, is also believed to be one of the gunmen. He has been in custody in France since his extradition from Norway at the end of 2020. He has denied the charges.
The attack began around midday when a grenade was tossed into the dining room.
Men then entered the restaurant, which had around 50 customers inside, and opened fire with Wz-63 Polish-made machine guns. They also shot at passers-by as they escaped.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he had met with the families of the 28 victims to inform them of the latest developments.
France charges suspect in deadly 1982 Paris Jewish restaurant attack
"I have emphasised our determination to see that justice is done," he said on X.
He said Harb's arrest was "the result of the process" initiated by Macron, adding the recognition of the Palestinian state would enable France to request the suspect's extradition.
Harb's extradition "will allow the criminal court to conduct a full examination of the facts and get as close as possible to the truth about who was responsible for this attack," Romain Boulet, one of the lawyers representing the families of the victims, told AFP.
Bruno Gendrin and Romain Ruiz, the lawyers for the suspect who has been extradited from Norway, see the arrest of his alleged accomplice as proof that "the investigation was not complete."
"As usual, the anti-terrorism courts wanted to rush things and we are now seeing the consequences," they told AFP in a statement.
They plan to request the reopening of the judicial investigation.
