American judge: PA should be tried for supporting terrorism

“US victims of bombings and shootings in Jerusalem more than a decade ago have cleared a final hurdle to take the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) to trial in New York for supporting the attacks,” Reuters reported yesterday.

Federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, George Daniels, refused bids by the PA and the PLO to dismiss the long-running $1 billion lawsuit before it is heard by a jury on January 12.

During a court hearing yesterday, Daniels also reaffirmed the decision he made in 2008 in which he found that his court had jurisdiction over claims against the PA and PLO despite changes in the law at the appellate level.

PA lawyer, Mark Rochon, said in court that the PA was “considering whether to seek appellate relief on that issue.” However, he declined to comment after the hearing on Daniels’ other rulings.

Daniel issued his ruling on the dismissal motion on Wednesday.

The lawsuit seeks $1 billion in compensation on behalf of 11 families who claim that the PLO and PA provided material support and resources for seven separate attacks in Israel that resulted in the death and injury of American citizens.

Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for the families, said: “We are looking forward to presenting the evidence to the jury.”

Should the case go to a jury it would mark a rare trial in a lawsuit under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. In September, under this law, a federal jury in Brooklyn found that the Arab Bank is liable for providing material support to Hamas.