NEW YORK — Federal appeals judges have restored a massive $656 million verdict against Palestinian organizations, marking a significant victory for American victims of violence in Israel and their families.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Americans who were killed or injured in attacks overseas. This decision reverses the same court’s action from ten years ago, when it originally threw out the verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority, determining that American courts lacked jurisdiction over foreign entities for overseas incidents not targeting the United States.
The appeals panel changed course following the Supreme Court’s June decision that upheld congressional legislation from 2019 permitting these victim lawsuits to proceed against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority.
In their March 30 ruling, the judges stated: “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.”
Attorney Kent Yalowitz expressed satisfaction with the outcome in an email statement: “Our client families are very relieved that the court has reinstated the judgment without requiring a new trial. They have been waiting for a very long time for justice to be done.”
Fellow plaintiff attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner also welcomed the ruling after more than two decades of court proceedings.
The legal action was filed using the Anti-Terrorism Act, legislation passed in 1992 that opened American courtrooms to those harmed by international terrorist incidents.
The plaintiffs claim that Palestinian operatives either participated directly in the attacks or encouraged them to happen.
Palestinian representatives have maintained throughout the litigation that American courts should not have authority over these cases.
Defense attorneys had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday.
