Six individuals set to stand trial for the lethal 1982 assault on a Parisian Jewish deli.
The French justice system has taken a significant step in the long-running investigation of the 1982 Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant massacre in Paris. Six suspected Palestinian Arab terrorists have been ordered to stand trial for their alleged involvement in the tragic event that claimed six lives and left 22 others wounded.
The attack, carried out by members of the Abu Nidal terrorist organization on August 9, 1982, in the Marais district, remains the deadliest antisemitic assault in France since World War II. The perpetrators used grenades and automatic weapons during the attack.
One named suspect, Walid Abdulrahman Abou Zayed, was arrested in France in December 2020 and has remained in custody since then. The other five suspects have arrest warrants issued, but it is unknown if four of them are in France.
Walid Abdulrahman Abu Zayed was extradited from Norway to France in 2020. Another suspect, Hazza Taha, was recently arrested in Paris. Three other suspects are believed to be in Jordan or the Palestinian Authority-controlled territories, with Mohamed Souhair al-Abassi, the alleged ringleader, remaining in Jordan, which has refused extradition.
The investigation concluded in June 2025, and French judges formally ordered a trial for these six suspects in a special terrorism court in July 2022. However, no trial date has been set due to ongoing procedural steps, including pending appeals. The suspects have a 10-day period to appeal the proceedings.
The trial could begin early next year. Attorney David Père represents dozens of victims' relatives and one survivor, who continues to suffer trauma and wants to see the suspects and try to understand.
The Abu Nidal group, responsible for this and numerous other attacks, including the 1985 massacres at El Al counters in Rome and Vienna, is believed to be responsible for at least 275 deaths. Sabri al-Banna, the founder of the Abu Nidal group, died by suicide in 2002 in Baghdad.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of terrorism and the ongoing pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.
[1] "France Arrests Suspect in 1982 Paris Jewish Restaurant Massacre," Associated Press, 2020. [2] "Suspect in 1982 Paris Jewish Restaurant Massacre Arrested," The New York Times, 2020. [3] "France Orders Trial for Suspects in 1982 Paris Jewish Restaurant Massacre," Reuters, 2022. [4] "The Long Road to Justice for the 1982 Paris Jewish Restaurant Massacre," Le Monde, 2022. [5] "The Jo Goldenberg Massacre: A Dark Chapter in French History," BBC News, 2022.
Politics and general news are abuzz with the upcoming trial for the six suspects accused of the 1982 Jo Goldenberg Jewish restaurant massacre in Paris. War-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice sections have also been focusing on this significant case, as it marks one of the deadliest antisemitic assaults in France since World War II.
