14 aug 2015
Scene of a terror attack at the cafeteria at the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus in 2002, which killed five Americans
Jordan-based bank pays undisclosed amount to avoid trial after being found liable in several terror attacks in Israel that killed Americans.
Arab Bank Plc has agreed to settle litigation brought by hundreds of Americans who accused it of facilitating Hamas attacks in Israel, nearly a year after a US jury found the bank liable.
The settlement was confirmed on Friday by Michael Elsner, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, and a spokesman for Arab Bank. The terms were not disclosed. Elsner said the framework of the deal would be finalized over the next few months.
A trial had been scheduled to start Monday to begin determining how much the bank would have to pay the victims and their families.
Approximately 500 US citizens who were either victims of two dozen Hamas attacks more than a decade ago or their family members had sued Arab Bank under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, which permits US citizens to pursue claims arising from international terrorism.
In September 2014, a US jury in Brooklyn, New York, found the Jordan-based bank knowingly supported Hamas in carrying out attacks, the first time a bank was held liable in US court for violating the act.
That verdict covered 310 plaintiffs. A source familiar with the litigation said the settlement would include claims brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act by all 500 plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs said Arab Bank knowingly maintained accounts for Hamas operatives and facilitated payments for families of suicide bombers and those imprisoned or injured during a Palestinian uprising beginning in 2000.
Monday's trial, which was to include 17 plaintiffs, had been akin to so-called bellwether trials that are common in mass tort cases. The trial was expected to allow both sides to assess the damages for a few plaintiffs in order to gauge the potential overall amount of money at stake for the bank.
It was not clear how much in potential damages Arab Bank had faced. Elsner, the plaintiffs' lawyer, had previously said that a verdict could have been for millions of dollars.
Jordan-based bank pays undisclosed amount to avoid trial after being found liable in several terror attacks in Israel that killed Americans.
Arab Bank Plc has agreed to settle litigation brought by hundreds of Americans who accused it of facilitating Hamas attacks in Israel, nearly a year after a US jury found the bank liable.
The settlement was confirmed on Friday by Michael Elsner, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, and a spokesman for Arab Bank. The terms were not disclosed. Elsner said the framework of the deal would be finalized over the next few months.
A trial had been scheduled to start Monday to begin determining how much the bank would have to pay the victims and their families.
Approximately 500 US citizens who were either victims of two dozen Hamas attacks more than a decade ago or their family members had sued Arab Bank under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, which permits US citizens to pursue claims arising from international terrorism.
In September 2014, a US jury in Brooklyn, New York, found the Jordan-based bank knowingly supported Hamas in carrying out attacks, the first time a bank was held liable in US court for violating the act.
That verdict covered 310 plaintiffs. A source familiar with the litigation said the settlement would include claims brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act by all 500 plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs said Arab Bank knowingly maintained accounts for Hamas operatives and facilitated payments for families of suicide bombers and those imprisoned or injured during a Palestinian uprising beginning in 2000.
Monday's trial, which was to include 17 plaintiffs, had been akin to so-called bellwether trials that are common in mass tort cases. The trial was expected to allow both sides to assess the damages for a few plaintiffs in order to gauge the potential overall amount of money at stake for the bank.
It was not clear how much in potential damages Arab Bank had faced. Elsner, the plaintiffs' lawyer, had previously said that a verdict could have been for millions of dollars.
11 aug 2015
Justice Department concerned about court ruling that PA must pay damages to victim of terror attacks, citing danger of financial collapse.
The US government submitted an appeal to a New York court Monday to reconsider a ruling against the Palestinian Authority to pay $218.5 million in damages to victims of terror attacks.
The Justice Department cited concern that such a hefty amount could "compromise the PA's ability to operate as a governmental authority." The statement also said that the move was made considering the "critical national security and foreign policy interests of the United States that should be considered" in deciding the amount of damages to be paid.
A New York jury ordered that the damages be paid in February for attacks that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more — a penalty that lawyers say would be automatically tripled under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, but that the State Department fears could weaken the stability of the Palestinian government.
The case has represented one of the most notable efforts by American victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to seek damages in US courts, though the plaintiffs may face challenges in trying to collect. The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which were held liable for the bloodshed following dramatic testimony from survivors and victims' relatives, have indicated that they are unable to pay the damages and won't provide money while their appeal is pending. The Justice Department also added to the appeal that, "The United States strongly supports the rights of victims of terrorism to vindicate their interests in federal court and to receive just compensation for their injuries." But not all were convinced.
"We are gratified that the Department of Justice supports the rights of survivors of international terrorism to enforce their rights and collect the judgment but disappointed that the State Department failed to take any stand against the PLO and PA's policy of putting convicted terrorists on their payroll as soon as they are jailed," said Attorney Kent Yalowitz with Shurat Hadin Law Center which represented the plaintiffs in this case.
"If the PA has enough money to pay convicted terrorists, it has enough to pay the judgment in this case." Israeli Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner added that, "We had hoped that the State Department would act to deter the PLO from using its funds to continue paying the convicted terrorists rather than trying to nullify the verdict of a unanimous New York jury."
The case was brought in New York by a group of American families and concerns a series of bombings and shootings between 2002 and 2004. Jurors heard dramatic testimony from relatives of people killed and survivors who never fully recovered.
The plaintiffs also relied on internal records showing the Palestinian Authority continued to pay the salaries of employees who were put behind bars in terror cases and paid benefits to families of suicide bombers and gunmen who died committing the attacks. But a defense lawyer argued that there was no evidence that the Palestinian authorities had sanctioned the attacks, as alleged in the lawsuit.
The US government submitted an appeal to a New York court Monday to reconsider a ruling against the Palestinian Authority to pay $218.5 million in damages to victims of terror attacks.
The Justice Department cited concern that such a hefty amount could "compromise the PA's ability to operate as a governmental authority." The statement also said that the move was made considering the "critical national security and foreign policy interests of the United States that should be considered" in deciding the amount of damages to be paid.
A New York jury ordered that the damages be paid in February for attacks that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more — a penalty that lawyers say would be automatically tripled under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, but that the State Department fears could weaken the stability of the Palestinian government.
The case has represented one of the most notable efforts by American victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to seek damages in US courts, though the plaintiffs may face challenges in trying to collect. The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which were held liable for the bloodshed following dramatic testimony from survivors and victims' relatives, have indicated that they are unable to pay the damages and won't provide money while their appeal is pending. The Justice Department also added to the appeal that, "The United States strongly supports the rights of victims of terrorism to vindicate their interests in federal court and to receive just compensation for their injuries." But not all were convinced.
"We are gratified that the Department of Justice supports the rights of survivors of international terrorism to enforce their rights and collect the judgment but disappointed that the State Department failed to take any stand against the PLO and PA's policy of putting convicted terrorists on their payroll as soon as they are jailed," said Attorney Kent Yalowitz with Shurat Hadin Law Center which represented the plaintiffs in this case.
"If the PA has enough money to pay convicted terrorists, it has enough to pay the judgment in this case." Israeli Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner added that, "We had hoped that the State Department would act to deter the PLO from using its funds to continue paying the convicted terrorists rather than trying to nullify the verdict of a unanimous New York jury."
The case was brought in New York by a group of American families and concerns a series of bombings and shootings between 2002 and 2004. Jurors heard dramatic testimony from relatives of people killed and survivors who never fully recovered.
The plaintiffs also relied on internal records showing the Palestinian Authority continued to pay the salaries of employees who were put behind bars in terror cases and paid benefits to families of suicide bombers and gunmen who died committing the attacks. But a defense lawyer argued that there was no evidence that the Palestinian authorities had sanctioned the attacks, as alleged in the lawsuit.
29 july 2015
US Justice Department considering possible role in civil lawsuit in which 10 American families of terror victims won punitive damages amounting to $655 million against PLO, PA.
The US government may weigh in on whether the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority must post a multimillion-dollar bond, which they have resisted doing, while the groups appeal a jury's finding that they supported terrorist attacks in Israel.
The US Department of Justice disclosed its potential interest in the case in a letter filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, six months after 10 American families won a $655 million verdict against the PLO and Palestinian Authority. If the Justice Department filed a so-called statement of interest, it would mark the US government's first formal role in the diplomatically sensitive lawsuit, which was filed in 2004.
The Justice Department said it would decide by August 10. A spokeswoman declined to comment. On Tuesday, lawyers for the families urged a federal judge to add $165 million in pre-judgment interest to what they won at trial. The families had won $218.5 million of damages, a sum automatically tripled under a 1992 US anti-terrorism law to $655.5 million.
Defense lawyers said adding the requested interest would, after tripling, boost the total award to $1.15 billion. "This could be the end of the Palestinian Authority," Mitchell Berger, its lawyer, said in court. "And that's why we're here to argue over the judgment."
They have also argued that any judgment should be stayed pending appeal with no requirement to post a bond. The families have requested that the defendants be required to deposit $30 million per month with the court. US District Judge George Daniels did not rule, but signaled he would not impose interest on the award but may require a bond pending appeal.
"There needs to be some meaningful demonstration that the defendant is ready and willing to pay the judgment," Daniels said. Jurors in February found the PLO and Palestinian Authority liable over six shootings and bombings between 2002 and 2004 in the Jerusalem area, which have been attributed to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas.
Those attacks killed 33 people, including several US citizens, and injured more than 450. The verdict added a new dimension to the long-running Middle East conflict.
The US government may weigh in on whether the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority must post a multimillion-dollar bond, which they have resisted doing, while the groups appeal a jury's finding that they supported terrorist attacks in Israel.
The US Department of Justice disclosed its potential interest in the case in a letter filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, six months after 10 American families won a $655 million verdict against the PLO and Palestinian Authority. If the Justice Department filed a so-called statement of interest, it would mark the US government's first formal role in the diplomatically sensitive lawsuit, which was filed in 2004.
The Justice Department said it would decide by August 10. A spokeswoman declined to comment. On Tuesday, lawyers for the families urged a federal judge to add $165 million in pre-judgment interest to what they won at trial. The families had won $218.5 million of damages, a sum automatically tripled under a 1992 US anti-terrorism law to $655.5 million.
Defense lawyers said adding the requested interest would, after tripling, boost the total award to $1.15 billion. "This could be the end of the Palestinian Authority," Mitchell Berger, its lawyer, said in court. "And that's why we're here to argue over the judgment."
They have also argued that any judgment should be stayed pending appeal with no requirement to post a bond. The families have requested that the defendants be required to deposit $30 million per month with the court. US District Judge George Daniels did not rule, but signaled he would not impose interest on the award but may require a bond pending appeal.
"There needs to be some meaningful demonstration that the defendant is ready and willing to pay the judgment," Daniels said. Jurors in February found the PLO and Palestinian Authority liable over six shootings and bombings between 2002 and 2004 in the Jerusalem area, which have been attributed to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas.
Those attacks killed 33 people, including several US citizens, and injured more than 450. The verdict added a new dimension to the long-running Middle East conflict.
26 feb 2015
Nabil Shaath, member of the Executive Committee of the Fateh movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinian National Authority (P.N.A) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), intend to appeal a ruling made by a US Court, and said the Palestinians will head to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Shaath said that the Manhattan Federal Court, which held the P.N.A (P.A.) and the PLO liable for what it called Palestinian attacks, in six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004, made a politically motivated, baseless ruling.
He added that the U.S. court has no jurisdiction, or legal stand, to be looking in such cases, and said if the plaintiffs really had a case against the PLO and the P.A, they would have headed to the International Criminal Court, (ICC) instead of suing them in an American court that has no jurisdiction.
Talking to the Al-Ghad Al Arabi newspaper, Shaath said the Palestinian National Authority, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, have decided to head to the International Criminal Court to counter this outrageous ruling, and to bring charges against Israel for committing war crimes against the Palestinian people.
He added that the P.N.A, and the PLO would have also filed charges in U.S. courts, but the U.S. legal system does not recognize them.
The ruling against the P.A. and the PLO, known as “Sokolow VS PLO case," was made by a 12-member jury in the Manhattan Federal Court, who held the PLO and the PNA liable for six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004 in Jerusalem.
The ruling orders the PLO to pay $218.5 Million to “victims killed in attacks more than a decade ago.
Shaath said that the Manhattan Federal Court, which held the P.N.A (P.A.) and the PLO liable for what it called Palestinian attacks, in six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004, made a politically motivated, baseless ruling.
He added that the U.S. court has no jurisdiction, or legal stand, to be looking in such cases, and said if the plaintiffs really had a case against the PLO and the P.A, they would have headed to the International Criminal Court, (ICC) instead of suing them in an American court that has no jurisdiction.
Talking to the Al-Ghad Al Arabi newspaper, Shaath said the Palestinian National Authority, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, have decided to head to the International Criminal Court to counter this outrageous ruling, and to bring charges against Israel for committing war crimes against the Palestinian people.
He added that the P.N.A, and the PLO would have also filed charges in U.S. courts, but the U.S. legal system does not recognize them.
The ruling against the P.A. and the PLO, known as “Sokolow VS PLO case," was made by a 12-member jury in the Manhattan Federal Court, who held the PLO and the PNA liable for six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004 in Jerusalem.
The ruling orders the PLO to pay $218.5 Million to “victims killed in attacks more than a decade ago.
24 feb 2015
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) issued a statement strongly condemning an American court decision, on Monday, in what is known as “Sokolow VS PLO case”, ordering the PLO to pay $218.5 Million to “victims killed in attacks more than a decade ago.”
The ruling in this case was made by a 12-member jury in the Manhattan Federal Court, who held the PLO and the PNA liable for six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004 in Jerusalem.
The plaintiffs claim that both the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the dismantled armed wing of Fateh Movement, and the Hamas movement (who is not part of the PLO), and its armed wing, are responsible for the death of 33 persons, including some who are U.S. citizens, in addition to allegedly wounding at least 450 others.
Both defendants said they would appeal the decision, as the plaintiffs are seeking a much larger amount, including seeking out Palestinian assets, while the PLO denounced the ruling as politically motivated, and based on faulty accusations.
The PLO also stated that the court violated a ruling, made last week by a Federal Judge in Washington DC, who ruled that “U.S. localities are not the proper jurisdiction for such a hearing.”
It is worth mentioning that, in September of last year, a deferral court in Brooklyn ruled that the “Arab Bank - Palestine Branch, is liable allegedly for providing financial support to the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.
Under the American “Anti-Terrorism Act”, American citizens “hurt in terrorist attacks around the world, can pursue damage in U.S. federal courts.”
Reuters said the ruling could benefit American families, and victims who hold foreign passports, in filing lawsuits seeking compensation and holding foreign entities accountable in American courts, although the alleged attacks did not take place in the U.S.
The PLO issued the following statement following the U.S. Federal Court ruling:
Statement from Dr. Mahmoud Khalifa, Deputy Minister of Information, Palestinian National Authority, in response to today's (Monday) decision by the jury in the case of "Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization et al" (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York).
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) are deeply disappointed by the adverse decision issued today in a New York court. The charges that were made against us are baseless.
Furthermore, the New York Court ignored the legal precedent set time and again by other U.S. courts-including a ruling last week by a Federal Judge in Washington DC-that established that U.S. localities are not the proper jurisdiction for such a hearing. We will appeal this decision.
We are confident that we will prevail, as we have faith in the U.S. legal system and are certain about our common sense belief and our strong legal standing.
This case is just the latest attempt by hardline anti-peace factions in Israel to use and abuse the U.S. legal system to advance their narrow political and ideological agenda: to block the two state solution, advance the illegal settlements in our land, continue to attack and divert the PLO and PNA's limited resources from needed services and programs for our people, and to distract the public from the everyday inequities and injustices Palestinians face, and which we try to address through a proper legal framework.
The decision is a tragic disservice to the millions of Palestinians who have invested in the democratic process and the rule of law in order to seek justice and redress their grievances, and to the international community which has invested so much in financial and political capital in a two-state solution in which the PLO and PNA are paramount.
As ever, we will continue to combat extremism and violence and maintain a strong commitment to nonviolent resistance and international legal, political and moral redress.
We stand ready to be a partner in peace and an unyielding advocate for the rights of our people and homeland to exist as a free, independent, democratic and prosperous state, living in peace with our neighbors.
The ruling in this case was made by a 12-member jury in the Manhattan Federal Court, who held the PLO and the PNA liable for six bombings and shooting incidents that took place between the years 2002 and 2004 in Jerusalem.
The plaintiffs claim that both the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the dismantled armed wing of Fateh Movement, and the Hamas movement (who is not part of the PLO), and its armed wing, are responsible for the death of 33 persons, including some who are U.S. citizens, in addition to allegedly wounding at least 450 others.
Both defendants said they would appeal the decision, as the plaintiffs are seeking a much larger amount, including seeking out Palestinian assets, while the PLO denounced the ruling as politically motivated, and based on faulty accusations.
The PLO also stated that the court violated a ruling, made last week by a Federal Judge in Washington DC, who ruled that “U.S. localities are not the proper jurisdiction for such a hearing.”
It is worth mentioning that, in September of last year, a deferral court in Brooklyn ruled that the “Arab Bank - Palestine Branch, is liable allegedly for providing financial support to the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.
Under the American “Anti-Terrorism Act”, American citizens “hurt in terrorist attacks around the world, can pursue damage in U.S. federal courts.”
Reuters said the ruling could benefit American families, and victims who hold foreign passports, in filing lawsuits seeking compensation and holding foreign entities accountable in American courts, although the alleged attacks did not take place in the U.S.
The PLO issued the following statement following the U.S. Federal Court ruling:
Statement from Dr. Mahmoud Khalifa, Deputy Minister of Information, Palestinian National Authority, in response to today's (Monday) decision by the jury in the case of "Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization et al" (U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York).
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) are deeply disappointed by the adverse decision issued today in a New York court. The charges that were made against us are baseless.
Furthermore, the New York Court ignored the legal precedent set time and again by other U.S. courts-including a ruling last week by a Federal Judge in Washington DC-that established that U.S. localities are not the proper jurisdiction for such a hearing. We will appeal this decision.
We are confident that we will prevail, as we have faith in the U.S. legal system and are certain about our common sense belief and our strong legal standing.
This case is just the latest attempt by hardline anti-peace factions in Israel to use and abuse the U.S. legal system to advance their narrow political and ideological agenda: to block the two state solution, advance the illegal settlements in our land, continue to attack and divert the PLO and PNA's limited resources from needed services and programs for our people, and to distract the public from the everyday inequities and injustices Palestinians face, and which we try to address through a proper legal framework.
The decision is a tragic disservice to the millions of Palestinians who have invested in the democratic process and the rule of law in order to seek justice and redress their grievances, and to the international community which has invested so much in financial and political capital in a two-state solution in which the PLO and PNA are paramount.
As ever, we will continue to combat extremism and violence and maintain a strong commitment to nonviolent resistance and international legal, political and moral redress.
We stand ready to be a partner in peace and an unyielding advocate for the rights of our people and homeland to exist as a free, independent, democratic and prosperous state, living in peace with our neighbors.
23 feb 2015
Court sketches from PLO trial in NY
More than a decade after Sokolow family wounded in Jerusalem bombing, Palestinian Authority found liable for aiding terrorists
A US jury on Monday ordered the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority to pay more than $218 million for providing material support to terrorists, a victory for Americans suing over attacks in the Jerusalem area more than a decade ago.
The verdict in the politically sensitive trial in Manhattan federal court added a new dimension to the long-running Middle East conflict, as American victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sought to use US courts to seek damages.
Jurors found in favor of 10 American families suing over six attacks attributed to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas. The award could be tripled under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. Victims and their families had requested more than $350 million, or over $1 billion after tripling, over shootings and bombings from 2002 to 2004 that killed 33 people and injured over 450.
The PLO and Palestinian Authority are expected to appeal, and it is unclear whether victims would be able to collect if the award were upheld. Throughout the trial, US District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan largely denied bids by the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to dismiss the long-running lawsuit. At a court hearing in December, Daniels also reaffirmed his decision in 2008 finding that his court had jurisdiction over claims against the Palestinian Authority and PLO despite changes in law at the appellate level.
The Sokolow family, the lead plaintiff in the trial, testified three weeks ago; a January 2002 bombing injured Jamie Sokolow, her sister Lauren, her mother Rena and her father Mark, all of whom testified.
Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi took the witness stand two weeks ago.
Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's executive committee, said she and other leaders, including the late Yasser Arafat, worked with US and Israeli officials to combat terrorism during those years.
"It didn't serve the cause of the Palestinian Authority or the PLO, nor the cause of freedom," she said of the attacks. Her testimony, which lasted about two hours, followed that of Majid Faraj, the authority's head of intelligence.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have accused the Palestinians of making payments to militants convicted of terrorism as a means of supporting their actions.
Faraj told the jurors the payments were intended to help the convicted men's families and remove economic reasons for them to engage in further attacks.
More than a decade after Sokolow family wounded in Jerusalem bombing, Palestinian Authority found liable for aiding terrorists
A US jury on Monday ordered the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority to pay more than $218 million for providing material support to terrorists, a victory for Americans suing over attacks in the Jerusalem area more than a decade ago.
The verdict in the politically sensitive trial in Manhattan federal court added a new dimension to the long-running Middle East conflict, as American victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict sought to use US courts to seek damages.
Jurors found in favor of 10 American families suing over six attacks attributed to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas. The award could be tripled under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. Victims and their families had requested more than $350 million, or over $1 billion after tripling, over shootings and bombings from 2002 to 2004 that killed 33 people and injured over 450.
The PLO and Palestinian Authority are expected to appeal, and it is unclear whether victims would be able to collect if the award were upheld. Throughout the trial, US District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan largely denied bids by the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to dismiss the long-running lawsuit. At a court hearing in December, Daniels also reaffirmed his decision in 2008 finding that his court had jurisdiction over claims against the Palestinian Authority and PLO despite changes in law at the appellate level.
The Sokolow family, the lead plaintiff in the trial, testified three weeks ago; a January 2002 bombing injured Jamie Sokolow, her sister Lauren, her mother Rena and her father Mark, all of whom testified.
Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi took the witness stand two weeks ago.
Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's executive committee, said she and other leaders, including the late Yasser Arafat, worked with US and Israeli officials to combat terrorism during those years.
"It didn't serve the cause of the Palestinian Authority or the PLO, nor the cause of freedom," she said of the attacks. Her testimony, which lasted about two hours, followed that of Majid Faraj, the authority's head of intelligence.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have accused the Palestinians of making payments to militants convicted of terrorism as a means of supporting their actions.
Faraj told the jurors the payments were intended to help the convicted men's families and remove economic reasons for them to engage in further attacks.
20 feb 2015
Palestinian officials nervously watch landmark terrorism trial in the US, brought by victims of Palestinian suicide bombings and shootings aimed at Israeli civilians.
Palestinian officials are nervously watching a landmark terrorism trial in the United States, brought by victims of Palestinian suicide bombings and shootings aimed at Israeli civilians. They fear a negative verdict could hurt their international image at a time when they are preparing to press war crimes charges against Israel.
The $1 billion lawsuit was filed over a series of deadly attacks in or near Jerusalem that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, a decade ago. The plaintiffs have turned to the US court because some of the victims were American citizens.
Although the cases are not directly linked, a ruling against the Palestinian Authority in the New York federal court threatens to undermine Palestinian efforts to rally international support for a brewing battle at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. With American plaintiffs seeking billions of dollars in damages, it could also deliver a tough financial blow to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority refused to comment on the lawsuit, but several senior Palestinian officials said the case is being closely watched in Ramallah and acknowledged they are worried about the outcome.
The officials spoke anonymously on the advice of their lawyers. At issue are several Palestinian attacks between 2001 and 2004 targeting civilians, including a bombing at a packed cafeteria at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, as well as suicide bombings and shootings on busy streets. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel-based Shurat HaDin Law Center, a lawyer who is representing the victims' families, said "it will definitely have an impact" on the Palestinians' image, saying the case is "full of evidence" that Palestinian Authority security men helped plan or carry out the attacks.
"Those involved in the attacks still receive salaries from the Palestinian Authority and still get promoted in rank while in jail," she said. Families of suicide bombers receive monthly salaries from a Palestinian "martyr's foundation," she said. She said a militant linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party drove a female suicide bomber to downtown Jerusalem, where she set off her explosives on a busy street in 2002, killing an 81-year-old man and wounding dozens. The driver is currently in Israeli prison, she said.
Defense attorney Mark Rochon told jurors in closing arguments Thursday that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization were not privy to the attacks and argued that an entire organization can't be held liable for the actions of the suicide bombers and gunmen, whom he said acted on their own. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi made the point at the trial that the Palestinians were hit hard during the 2000 intifada, which in addition to the attacks saw Israeli troops battle Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis.
The conflict killed around 3,000 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Israelis. "I knew and lots of my friends knew that this was counterproductive, that it really damaged our cause and didn't serve the cause of the PLO, nor the cause of freedom and justice. So we tried to prevent violence from all sides," the Jerusalem Post quoted her as saying earlier this month. The Intifada fizzled out after Abbas took office in 2005 following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Abbas has repeatedly condemned violence, and his forces have coordinated security in the West Bank with Israel for nearly a decade, though Israel accuses the official Palestinian media of incitement. Members of a family from Long Island testified in early February about the attack.
Rena Sokolow said the world seemed to be spinning "like I was in a washing machine," and blood flowed so quickly from a broken leg she thought she would die. "I looked to my right and saw a severed head of a woman about three feet from me," she testified. Her daughter Jamie, then 12, suffered multiple facial wounds. The female bomber, Wafa Idris, is widely regarded as a hero in the Palestinian territories, as are other militants who have carried out attacks. Meshulam Perlman described to the court in January the aftermath of a Palestinian suicide bombing that targeted a crowded bus in Jerusalem.
"Bodies, corpses were flying. They were flying onto balconies and rooftops," said the 70-year-old flower shop owner. "People were severed in two, severed into pieces," he said. The 2004 lawsuit was brought under the Anti-terrorism Act of 1991 and seeks $1 billion from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say any damages awarded would be automatically tripled because the claims involve acts of terrorism. The Palestinian officials said they are worried they will be faced with a hefty bill. The Israeli government says it has no official involvement in the case.
The case was delayed for years as lawyers for the Palestinians tried to challenge the American court's jurisdiction. Closing arguments were delivered Thursday. A spokesman for the plaintiffs said the jury could issue a verdict as soon as Monday, or it could take days or weeks. A negative ruling would be a setback for the Palestinians' campaign to seek international recognition of their independence in the absence of a peace deal with Israel.
Disillusioned after two decades of failed peace talks, the Palestinians gained observer status at the United Nations in 2012, clearing the way for them to join various international organizations. Most notably, the Palestinians recently moved to join the International Criminal Court, where they hope to pursue war crimes charges against Israel.
Palestinian officials are nervously watching a landmark terrorism trial in the United States, brought by victims of Palestinian suicide bombings and shootings aimed at Israeli civilians. They fear a negative verdict could hurt their international image at a time when they are preparing to press war crimes charges against Israel.
The $1 billion lawsuit was filed over a series of deadly attacks in or near Jerusalem that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, a decade ago. The plaintiffs have turned to the US court because some of the victims were American citizens.
Although the cases are not directly linked, a ruling against the Palestinian Authority in the New York federal court threatens to undermine Palestinian efforts to rally international support for a brewing battle at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. With American plaintiffs seeking billions of dollars in damages, it could also deliver a tough financial blow to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority refused to comment on the lawsuit, but several senior Palestinian officials said the case is being closely watched in Ramallah and acknowledged they are worried about the outcome.
The officials spoke anonymously on the advice of their lawyers. At issue are several Palestinian attacks between 2001 and 2004 targeting civilians, including a bombing at a packed cafeteria at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, as well as suicide bombings and shootings on busy streets. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel-based Shurat HaDin Law Center, a lawyer who is representing the victims' families, said "it will definitely have an impact" on the Palestinians' image, saying the case is "full of evidence" that Palestinian Authority security men helped plan or carry out the attacks.
"Those involved in the attacks still receive salaries from the Palestinian Authority and still get promoted in rank while in jail," she said. Families of suicide bombers receive monthly salaries from a Palestinian "martyr's foundation," she said. She said a militant linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party drove a female suicide bomber to downtown Jerusalem, where she set off her explosives on a busy street in 2002, killing an 81-year-old man and wounding dozens. The driver is currently in Israeli prison, she said.
Defense attorney Mark Rochon told jurors in closing arguments Thursday that the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization were not privy to the attacks and argued that an entire organization can't be held liable for the actions of the suicide bombers and gunmen, whom he said acted on their own. Senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi made the point at the trial that the Palestinians were hit hard during the 2000 intifada, which in addition to the attacks saw Israeli troops battle Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on a near-daily basis.
The conflict killed around 3,000 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Israelis. "I knew and lots of my friends knew that this was counterproductive, that it really damaged our cause and didn't serve the cause of the PLO, nor the cause of freedom and justice. So we tried to prevent violence from all sides," the Jerusalem Post quoted her as saying earlier this month. The Intifada fizzled out after Abbas took office in 2005 following the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Abbas has repeatedly condemned violence, and his forces have coordinated security in the West Bank with Israel for nearly a decade, though Israel accuses the official Palestinian media of incitement. Members of a family from Long Island testified in early February about the attack.
Rena Sokolow said the world seemed to be spinning "like I was in a washing machine," and blood flowed so quickly from a broken leg she thought she would die. "I looked to my right and saw a severed head of a woman about three feet from me," she testified. Her daughter Jamie, then 12, suffered multiple facial wounds. The female bomber, Wafa Idris, is widely regarded as a hero in the Palestinian territories, as are other militants who have carried out attacks. Meshulam Perlman described to the court in January the aftermath of a Palestinian suicide bombing that targeted a crowded bus in Jerusalem.
"Bodies, corpses were flying. They were flying onto balconies and rooftops," said the 70-year-old flower shop owner. "People were severed in two, severed into pieces," he said. The 2004 lawsuit was brought under the Anti-terrorism Act of 1991 and seeks $1 billion from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say any damages awarded would be automatically tripled because the claims involve acts of terrorism. The Palestinian officials said they are worried they will be faced with a hefty bill. The Israeli government says it has no official involvement in the case.
The case was delayed for years as lawyers for the Palestinians tried to challenge the American court's jurisdiction. Closing arguments were delivered Thursday. A spokesman for the plaintiffs said the jury could issue a verdict as soon as Monday, or it could take days or weeks. A negative ruling would be a setback for the Palestinians' campaign to seek international recognition of their independence in the absence of a peace deal with Israel.
Disillusioned after two decades of failed peace talks, the Palestinians gained observer status at the United Nations in 2012, clearing the way for them to join various international organizations. Most notably, the Palestinians recently moved to join the International Criminal Court, where they hope to pursue war crimes charges against Israel.
11 feb 2015
Hanan Ashrawi says PLO, Arafat worked with US, Israel to combat terrorism in early 2000s; Palestinians claim PA cannot be held responsible for actions of individuals acting on their own.
Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi took the witness stand in New York on Tuesday as the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization fight a lawsuit that would force them to pay up to $3 billion to victims of attacks in Israel.
Victims and their families have sued the authority and the PLO over six shootings and bombings in the Jerusalem area from 2002 to 2004 that killed 33 and wounded more than 450, claiming the defendants provided support to the terrorists who carried out the attacks. Lawyers for the Palestinians have argued in US Federal court that their government should not be held responsible for the actions of a few individuals who acted on their own or at the behest of outside terror groups such as Hamas.
Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's executive committee, said she and other leaders, including the late Yasser Arafat, worked with US and Israeli officials to combat terrorism during those years. "It didn't serve the cause of the Palestinian Authority or the PLO, nor the cause of freedom," she said of the attacks. Her testimony, which lasted about two hours, followed that of Majid Faraj, the authority's head of intelligence.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have accused the Palestinians of making payments to militants convicted of terrorism as a means of supporting their actions. Faraj told the jurors the payments were intended to help the convicted men's families and remove economic reasons for them to engage in further attacks. During cross-examination, Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, asked Faraj about Abdullah Barghouti, accused of being one of Hamas' chief bomb-makers in the early 2000s.
Faraj had testified earlier that Barghouti escaped from Palestinian custody in 2002. Yalowitz, however, showed Faraj an Israeli police report in which Barghouti said the Palestinian security forces allowed him to go free, despite his alleged role in several attacks. Faraj said he did not know the source of the police report.
Barghouti was later arrested by Israel and eventually sentenced to life in prison.
Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi took the witness stand in New York on Tuesday as the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization fight a lawsuit that would force them to pay up to $3 billion to victims of attacks in Israel.
Victims and their families have sued the authority and the PLO over six shootings and bombings in the Jerusalem area from 2002 to 2004 that killed 33 and wounded more than 450, claiming the defendants provided support to the terrorists who carried out the attacks. Lawyers for the Palestinians have argued in US Federal court that their government should not be held responsible for the actions of a few individuals who acted on their own or at the behest of outside terror groups such as Hamas.
Ashrawi, a member of the PLO's executive committee, said she and other leaders, including the late Yasser Arafat, worked with US and Israeli officials to combat terrorism during those years. "It didn't serve the cause of the Palestinian Authority or the PLO, nor the cause of freedom," she said of the attacks. Her testimony, which lasted about two hours, followed that of Majid Faraj, the authority's head of intelligence.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have accused the Palestinians of making payments to militants convicted of terrorism as a means of supporting their actions. Faraj told the jurors the payments were intended to help the convicted men's families and remove economic reasons for them to engage in further attacks. During cross-examination, Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, asked Faraj about Abdullah Barghouti, accused of being one of Hamas' chief bomb-makers in the early 2000s.
Faraj had testified earlier that Barghouti escaped from Palestinian custody in 2002. Yalowitz, however, showed Faraj an Israeli police report in which Barghouti said the Palestinian security forces allowed him to go free, despite his alleged role in several attacks. Faraj said he did not know the source of the police report.
Barghouti was later arrested by Israel and eventually sentenced to life in prison.
3 feb 2015
Sokolow family, from New York, recount horrifying moments of terror in Jerusalem in Manhattan courtroom.
Seconds after the blast hit downtown Jerusalem, Jamie Sokolow lay on the ground, her right eye damaged by shrapnel and her face feeling as though someone had set it aflame. "I thought, 'I'm 12 years old, I'm from New York, and I'm going to die,'" she testified in Manhattan federal court on Monday, at times breaking down in tears.
The Sokolow family is the lead plaintiff in a civil trial against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority that will decide whether the groups should pay up to $3 billion for allegedly providing support for six attacks in the Jerusalem area between 2002 and 2004.
The attacks killed 33 and wounded more than 450, including the January 2002 bombing that injured Jamie Sokolow, her sister Lauren, her mother Rena and her father Mark, all of whom testified on Monday. Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, has told jurors that Palestinian leaders approved payments they knew would contribute to attacks. Defense lawyers have argued the Palestinian government should not be held liable for the crimes of a few militants who acted on their own or at the behest of more radical organizations such as Hamas.
The plaintiffs are seeking triple damages under the US Anti-Terrorism Act that would bring total liability to $3 billion. Any award would likely be subject to appeal. Mark Sokolow, a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter, is no stranger to close calls. He worked in the World Trade Center in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, and fled after the first of two airplanes slammed into the twin towers. In Jerusalem, the family was visiting his oldest daughter, Elana, who was studying abroad. He had planned to leave his other daughters behind for safety, he said, but the September 11 attacks convinced him that "terrorism could happen anywhere."
Rena Sokolow, his wife, said the attack broke her leg, leaving the bone exposed. A few feet away, she said, she saw a woman's severed head. Her daughter Jamie lay nearby, although the blood on her face made her virtually unrecognizable. "I said, 'It'll be okay,'" she tearfully told the jurors. The trial, which began January 13, is expected to last another few weeks.
Last September, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Arab Bank Plc liable under the anti-terrorism law for providing support to Hamas. A damages trial is scheduled for May 18.
Seconds after the blast hit downtown Jerusalem, Jamie Sokolow lay on the ground, her right eye damaged by shrapnel and her face feeling as though someone had set it aflame. "I thought, 'I'm 12 years old, I'm from New York, and I'm going to die,'" she testified in Manhattan federal court on Monday, at times breaking down in tears.
The Sokolow family is the lead plaintiff in a civil trial against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority that will decide whether the groups should pay up to $3 billion for allegedly providing support for six attacks in the Jerusalem area between 2002 and 2004.
The attacks killed 33 and wounded more than 450, including the January 2002 bombing that injured Jamie Sokolow, her sister Lauren, her mother Rena and her father Mark, all of whom testified on Monday. Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, has told jurors that Palestinian leaders approved payments they knew would contribute to attacks. Defense lawyers have argued the Palestinian government should not be held liable for the crimes of a few militants who acted on their own or at the behest of more radical organizations such as Hamas.
The plaintiffs are seeking triple damages under the US Anti-Terrorism Act that would bring total liability to $3 billion. Any award would likely be subject to appeal. Mark Sokolow, a partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter, is no stranger to close calls. He worked in the World Trade Center in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, and fled after the first of two airplanes slammed into the twin towers. In Jerusalem, the family was visiting his oldest daughter, Elana, who was studying abroad. He had planned to leave his other daughters behind for safety, he said, but the September 11 attacks convinced him that "terrorism could happen anywhere."
Rena Sokolow, his wife, said the attack broke her leg, leaving the bone exposed. A few feet away, she said, she saw a woman's severed head. Her daughter Jamie lay nearby, although the blood on her face made her virtually unrecognizable. "I said, 'It'll be okay,'" she tearfully told the jurors. The trial, which began January 13, is expected to last another few weeks.
Last September, a federal jury in Brooklyn found Arab Bank Plc liable under the anti-terrorism law for providing support to Hamas. A damages trial is scheduled for May 18.
20 nov 2013
11 families of US victims of bombings and shootings in Jerusalem seek $1 billion in compensation from Palestinian leadership for sanctioning and funding terror attacks.
Families of US victims of bombings and shootings in Jerusalem more than a decade ago have cleared a final hurdle to take the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to trial in New York for supporting the attacks.
US District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan largely denied bids by the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to dismiss the long-running $1 billion lawsuit ahead of a jury trial scheduled for January 12.
At a court hearing on Thursday, Daniels also reaffirmed his decision in 2008 finding that his court had jurisdiction over claims against the Palestinian Authority and PLO despite changes in law at the appellate level.
The court's decision.
Mark Rochon, a lawyer for the Palestinian Authority, said in court his client was "considering whether to seek appellate relief on that issue." He declined to comment after the hearing on Daniels' other rulings.
Daniel's ruling on the dismissal motion was issued late on Wednesday.
The lawsuit seeks $1 billion on behalf of 11 families who say the PLO and Palestinian Authority provided material support and resources for seven separate attacks in Israel that killed and injured American citizens.
The families accuse the PLO and PA leadership in funding, planning and executing seven terror attacks and fire at Israelis in Israeli territory between 2001 and January 2004 in and around Jerusalem. These attacks led to the death of hundreds of innocent civilians and to the injury of thousands.
Among the terror attacks included in the lawsuit are the July 2002 bombing of a cafeteria at the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus that killed 9 people, including American students, and injured about 100; a terror bombing of bus 19 at the Rehavia neighborhood in Jerusalem, which killed 11 people and injured over 40; a shooting on route 443; a suicide bombing at the Ben Yehuda Midrachov, which killed 5 people, and others.
According to the statement of claims, the Palestinian Authority "planned and carried out terrorist attacks against civilians through their officials, agents and employees."
These attacks were planned and carried out by individuals "acting as agents and employees of the PLO and PA and within the scope of their agency and employment, pursuant to the prior authorization, instructions, solicitations and directives of defendants PLO and PA, in furtherance of the goals and policies of defendants PLO and PA, and using funds, weapons, means of transportation and communications and other material support and resources supplied by defendants PLO and PA for the express purpose of carrying out (these) attack(s) and terrorist attacks of this type."
For the first time, the trial will be open to the public and to media reports in real time and evidence that have so far been confidential will be exposed. The plaintiffs claim this evidence is enough to prove the Palestinian Authority supports terror activity to this very day.
"We are looking forward to presenting the evidence to the jury," said Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the families.
The Palestinian Authority demanded to reject the suit due to lack of sufficient evidence, but the New York District judge ruled that the evidence brought before him were sufficient to call in a jury and issue a ruling.
Prosecutors interrogated a list of Palestinian Authority officials during the preliminary procedures, including Ahmed Qurei (also know as Abu Alaa), Salam Fayyad, Hussein al-Sheikh and many others.
Should the case go to a jury, it would mark a rare trial in a lawsuit under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. A federal jury in Brooklyn in September found Arab Bank Plc liable under the law for providing material support to Hamas.
The judge's decision allowing the case to go forward comes amid continued unrest in recent weeks in Jerusalem. On Tuesday, two Palestinians killed five people at a Jerusalem synagogue during morning services, the worst attack in the city since 2008.
The lawsuit, filed in 2004, accused the PLO and the Palestinian Authority of violating the US Anti-Terrorism Act through support of Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which the US government deems terrorist organizations.
The Palestinian Authority has been battling the lawsuit since 2004 using prominent American attorneys.
In his ruling, Daniels said the plaintiffs had presented triable issues over whether the PLO and the Palestinian Authority directly supported Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades with money, weapons and personnel, as well as by harboring purported terrorists.
The judge also said most of the plaintiffs could pursue claims that the Palestinian Authority was vicariously liable for its employees' alleged participation in attacks in 2001 and 2002.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the founder of Shurat HaDin, which is leading this lawsuit and representing the families, said: "This is a precedent and a historical decision of the court. We've sued the Palestinian Authority in the past, and these suits were heard by different federal judges who ruled in them, but this is the first time a trial will be heard by an American jury, a trial that is open to the public and the world media. This is a historic opportunity to call to the stand many PLO and PA officials for an in-depth interrogation about their actions. The PA, the PLO and Abbas will have to answer to these actions."
The case is Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 04-00397.
Families of US victims of bombings and shootings in Jerusalem more than a decade ago have cleared a final hurdle to take the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to trial in New York for supporting the attacks.
US District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan largely denied bids by the Palestinian Authority and the PLO to dismiss the long-running $1 billion lawsuit ahead of a jury trial scheduled for January 12.
At a court hearing on Thursday, Daniels also reaffirmed his decision in 2008 finding that his court had jurisdiction over claims against the Palestinian Authority and PLO despite changes in law at the appellate level.
The court's decision.
Mark Rochon, a lawyer for the Palestinian Authority, said in court his client was "considering whether to seek appellate relief on that issue." He declined to comment after the hearing on Daniels' other rulings.
Daniel's ruling on the dismissal motion was issued late on Wednesday.
The lawsuit seeks $1 billion on behalf of 11 families who say the PLO and Palestinian Authority provided material support and resources for seven separate attacks in Israel that killed and injured American citizens.
The families accuse the PLO and PA leadership in funding, planning and executing seven terror attacks and fire at Israelis in Israeli territory between 2001 and January 2004 in and around Jerusalem. These attacks led to the death of hundreds of innocent civilians and to the injury of thousands.
Among the terror attacks included in the lawsuit are the July 2002 bombing of a cafeteria at the Hebrew University's Mount Scopus campus that killed 9 people, including American students, and injured about 100; a terror bombing of bus 19 at the Rehavia neighborhood in Jerusalem, which killed 11 people and injured over 40; a shooting on route 443; a suicide bombing at the Ben Yehuda Midrachov, which killed 5 people, and others.
According to the statement of claims, the Palestinian Authority "planned and carried out terrorist attacks against civilians through their officials, agents and employees."
These attacks were planned and carried out by individuals "acting as agents and employees of the PLO and PA and within the scope of their agency and employment, pursuant to the prior authorization, instructions, solicitations and directives of defendants PLO and PA, in furtherance of the goals and policies of defendants PLO and PA, and using funds, weapons, means of transportation and communications and other material support and resources supplied by defendants PLO and PA for the express purpose of carrying out (these) attack(s) and terrorist attacks of this type."
For the first time, the trial will be open to the public and to media reports in real time and evidence that have so far been confidential will be exposed. The plaintiffs claim this evidence is enough to prove the Palestinian Authority supports terror activity to this very day.
"We are looking forward to presenting the evidence to the jury," said Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the families.
The Palestinian Authority demanded to reject the suit due to lack of sufficient evidence, but the New York District judge ruled that the evidence brought before him were sufficient to call in a jury and issue a ruling.
Prosecutors interrogated a list of Palestinian Authority officials during the preliminary procedures, including Ahmed Qurei (also know as Abu Alaa), Salam Fayyad, Hussein al-Sheikh and many others.
Should the case go to a jury, it would mark a rare trial in a lawsuit under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. A federal jury in Brooklyn in September found Arab Bank Plc liable under the law for providing material support to Hamas.
The judge's decision allowing the case to go forward comes amid continued unrest in recent weeks in Jerusalem. On Tuesday, two Palestinians killed five people at a Jerusalem synagogue during morning services, the worst attack in the city since 2008.
The lawsuit, filed in 2004, accused the PLO and the Palestinian Authority of violating the US Anti-Terrorism Act through support of Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which the US government deems terrorist organizations.
The Palestinian Authority has been battling the lawsuit since 2004 using prominent American attorneys.
In his ruling, Daniels said the plaintiffs had presented triable issues over whether the PLO and the Palestinian Authority directly supported Hamas and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades with money, weapons and personnel, as well as by harboring purported terrorists.
The judge also said most of the plaintiffs could pursue claims that the Palestinian Authority was vicariously liable for its employees' alleged participation in attacks in 2001 and 2002.
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the founder of Shurat HaDin, which is leading this lawsuit and representing the families, said: "This is a precedent and a historical decision of the court. We've sued the Palestinian Authority in the past, and these suits were heard by different federal judges who ruled in them, but this is the first time a trial will be heard by an American jury, a trial that is open to the public and the world media. This is a historic opportunity to call to the stand many PLO and PA officials for an in-depth interrogation about their actions. The PA, the PLO and Abbas will have to answer to these actions."
The case is Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 04-00397.
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