In brief
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a $656 million judgment against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, a decision rooted in a Supreme Court ruling that allows victims of terror attacks to pursue legal action in U.S. courts. This ruling provides a path for families of victims to seek justice after over two decades of litigation under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
NEW YORK (AP) — A $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities has been reinstated by appeals judges, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel.
The decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes a decade after it first tossed out a verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that U.S. courts couldn’t consider lawsuits against foreign groups over overseas attacks that were not aimed at the United States.
However, the appeals court reinstated the judgment in light of a Supreme Court ruling last June that upheld a law allowing the victims’ lawsuits to move forward against these entities.
“We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court’s decision,” the judges stated in their decision dated March 30.
Attorney Kent Yalowitz, representing the plaintiffs, expressed relief that a new trial was not needed, stating that the families have been waiting a long time for justice.
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, another attorney for the plaintiffs, was pleased with the decision after 22 years of litigation. The victims' cases were brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was designed to facilitate the pursuit of justice for victims of international terror attacks.
While the plaintiffs assert that Palestinian agents were involved in or incited these attacks, Palestinian authorities contend that U.S. courts should not hear such cases.
Comments were sought from attorneys representing the defendants but have yet to be received.
