Interpol
InterpoliStock

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel had prevented the Palestinian Authority from joining Interpol. Netanyahu was speaking at the inauguration of the new railway system in the Jezreel Valley.

"This morning we foiled an attempt by the Palestinians to join Interpol. This would have constituted a change in Israel's international status. The matter was achieved through intensive work by Foreign Office officials and the National Security Council and I am grateful to them for their efforts."

The International Criminal Police Organization , ICPO or INTERPOL, is an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation. Its work focuses primarily on public safety and battling terrorism, crimes against humanity, environmental crime, genocide, war crimes, organized crime, piracy, illicit traffic in works of art, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, white-collar crime, computer crime, intellectual property crime, and corruption. There are currently 190 countries who are members of the organization and contribute to its annual budget.

Netanyahu added that "The struggle with international bodies to represent our interests and those of many other countries will continue in the Security Council. Israel is breaking ground in the international arena and this will be reflected at all of the UN's institutions and in all other international institutions."