A French terrorism court will try six suspected Palestinian Arab terrorists over the 1982 Jo Goldenberg restaurant massacre — France’s deadliest antisemitic attack since WWII — as victims’ families demand justice at last.
Paris, France — After more than four decades of waiting, justice may finally be within reach for survivors and families of victims of the 1982 Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant massacre. A French terrorism court has ordered six suspected Palestinian Arab terrorists to stand trial for their alleged roles in the brutal attack that left six dead — including two Americans — and 22 wounded.
On August 9, 1982, terrorists linked to the Abu Nidal Organization stormed the famed Jewish deli in Paris’s historic Marais district. They hurled grenades into the crowded dining room before unleashing automatic gunfire, turning a bustling lunchtime scene into chaos and carnage.
The massacre remains the deadliest antisemitic attack in France since the Holocaust.
Suspects and Arrests
Four suspects remain at large and will likely be tried in absentia. Among those in custody:
- Walid Abdulrahman Abu Zayed — extradited from Norway in 2020.
- Hazza Taha — recently arrested in Paris.
The alleged mastermind, Mohamed Souhair al‑Abassi (a.k.a. Amjad Atta), is in Jordan, which has refused extradition. Three others are believed to be in Jordan or the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories.
French officials first issued international arrest warrants in 2015 — 33 years after the atrocity.
Victims’ Families: “Justice Delayed, Not Denied”
Attorney David Père, representing dozens of relatives and one survivor, said the trial is about closure.
“For them, this is not about the past but the present. It’s a trial they intend to follow day by day.”
The sole surviving client he represents — physically uninjured but still traumatized — wants to face the accused in court.
The Abu Nidal Terror Legacy
The Abu Nidal Organization, led by Sabri al‑Banna, was among the world’s most feared terror groups of the 1970s and 1980s, blamed for at least 275 deaths worldwide. Its atrocities include the 1985 massacres at El Al airline counters in Rome and Vienna.
Abu Nidal himself was found dead in Baghdad in 2002 under mysterious circumstances; Iraqi authorities claimed suicide.
What’s Next
The trial could begin early next year. For many, it represents a long‑overdue reckoning with one of France’s darkest chapters in post‑war history — and a test of whether justice can still be served after 42 years of delay.
