RAMALLAH, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) applauded Wednesday the approval of the Palestinian body to join Interpol.
Earlier in the day, Palestinian membership to the international police organization was approved by 74 to 24 votes, exceeding the two-thirds requirement of the yes-to-no ratio.
"This victory was realized because the majority of the Interpol members defended the raisons d'etre of the organization and basic principles," said Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.
He added that the approval reflects the trust of the international community in Palestine's capabilities.
"Palestine will commit to obligations and contribute to combating crime and law enforcement on the international level," Malki noted.
Meanwhile, Louai Irzeiqat, spokesperson of the Palestinian Police, told Xinhua that joining the Interpol is "important and a merger within the international community," as this development "will help following up cases outside of the Palestinian territories."
Nour Odeh, a diplomatic affairs and political analyst, hailed the approval as a further international recognition of Palestine's political identity.
"We are an inescapable fact of political life in the political arena," she said. "The overwhelming vote in favor means that all the pressure and political bullying by Israel and it's allies have failed."
A day earlier, the PNA criticized the U.S. for seeking to postpone Palestine's bid to join Intepol to next year.
Established in 1923, Interpol is the world's largest police organization and currently has 192 members after the admission of Solomon Islands and the State of Palestine on Wednesday.
