The Palestinian Authority (PA) has extradited Mahmoud Khader Abd Adra, also known as Hicham Harb, to France, where he is suspected of involvement in the 1982 attack on the Jewish restaurant “Jo Goldenberg."
Adra arrived in France on Thursday and was placed in custody pending indictment. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked the PA and said it was "a concrete demonstration" of judicial co-operation due to France’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
The extradition follows a September request by France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT).
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that 44 years after the deadly attack, justice may finally be achieved.
“Faced with anti-Semitism and terrorism, France never forgets and never gives up," he said.
Harb’s lawyer condemned the extradition, calling it “a serious violation of basic Palestinian law."
The attack at the Jo Goldenberg restaurant took place on August 9, 1982, when two terrorists entered the Jewish restaurant, threw a grenade, and opened fire. Six people were killed and 22 wounded, including 13 seriously.
The attackers escaped in a police vehicle. The investigation later determined they were affiliated with the Palestinian Abu Nidal terror organization.