Six Palestinians to Stand Trial for Attack on Deli in Paris

• Six Palestinians will stand trial for the attack in 1982.
• The court proceedings may begin at the start of the coming year.
• The attack became the deadliest anti-Semitic act in France.

The terrorist court in France has upheld the decision to prosecute the six defendants accused of being Palestinian extremists in connection with the attack 43 years ago on a Jewish restaurant and deli in Paris, resulting in the death of six people, the lawyer reported on Thursday.

The attackers opened fire with an automatic weapon in the Jo Goldenberg restaurant on September 9, 1982, which became the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in France since World War II. Additionally, 22 people were injured, two of whom were American citizens.

Although the six defendants remain at large, they will likely be tried in absentia, as the judges have issued a summons for the trial, which may begin at the start of the coming year, reported lawyer David Perre, who represents the victims. The Paris court usually does not publish its summons and does not respond to requests from journalists.

The defendants were likely members of the Palestinian extremist group Abu Nidal during the attack. The anticipated organizer, Mohammed Suheir al-Abbasi, known as Ahmad Atta, resides in Jordan, where the authorities have refused to extradite him. Three other defendants, Mahmoud Hader Abed Adra, Nabil Hasan Mahmoud Otman, and Nizar Tawfiq Mussa Hamada, are likely also located in Palestinian territories or in Jordan.

One of the accused, Walid Abdulrahman Abu Zaid, was extradited to France from Norway in 2020. The sixth accused, Khaza Taha, was recently detained in Paris.

Perre, who represents dozens of victims' relatives and one security witness, stated that the court is "historic" for them. "For them, this is not about the past, but about the present. This is a court that they intend to monitor every day," said Perre.

One of the victims represented by Perre was not present during the attack, but still feels trauma. "He wants to see the defendants and try to understand," added Perre.

Joe Goldenberg, the owner of the restaurant, recalled the horrific attack during an interview in 2002. "They shot at everyone, whoever was Jewish - at everyone," said Goldenberg. The restaurant, which closed down, was an important tourist attraction in the Marais district.

The French government announced in 2015, nearly 33 years after the attack, that international warrants were issued for the defendants.

The Abu Nidal group, named after its leader, is believed to be responsible for more than two dozen attacks, in which at least 275 people were killed, including attacks on El Al airline counters at airports in Rome and Vienna in 1985, resulting in the deaths of 18 people.

The notorious Abu Nidal himself was found dead in his apartment in Baghdad in September 2002. The Iraqi government stated that Abu Nidal, whose real name was Sabri al-Banna, died as a result of suicide.

Tags: Europe/Crime