When Mitterrand negotiated a "secret pact" with Abu Nidal's terrorists after the anti-Semitic attack on Rue des Rosiers

According to Mediapart , declassified notes from the Élysée and the DST confirm that a "secret pact" was made in the 1980s between François Mitterrand and the terrorist group Abou Nidal, perpetrator of the attack on the Jo Goldenberg restaurant on Rue des Rosiers in Paris (6 dead, 22 injured on August 9, 1982). This deal provided for the cessation of attacks in France in exchange for benefits: early release of two PLO assassins (Hatem and Assad), opening of a clandestine office for the group, protection on French territory. The negotiations took place in Vienna, Lyon and Paris, with the approval of the DST and Mitterrand's close associates. Despite this "deal," the DST only began cooperating with the justice system in 2001, delaying the investigation by 19 years. On July 31, 2025, six people—three alleged members of the commando and three accomplices—were referred to the special assize court. Only one is currently incarcerated (Walid Abou Zayed). Yves Bonnet, former head of the DST, accepted this choice, stating: "I don't want any more attacks on French soil, and in return, I'll let you come to France. I guarantee that nothing will happen to you."

The "pact", validated by notes on the letterhead of the French Republic, lasted until the end of the 1980s, with even a secret visit by Abu Nidal to Algiers in 1987.