Dozens of bereaved families, including families whose loved ones were killed in the past year, filed a claim with the Jerusalem District Court for 210 million shekels against the Palestinian Authority.
The main claim in the lawsuit is that the Palestinian Authority initiates, supports and encourages terrorism against the citizens of the State of Israel and rewards terrorists with a lot of money by paying the perpetrators of terrorism and their families according to the equation: "More blood equals more money."
Among the plaintiffs are bereaved families whose relatives were murdered in attacks that occurred in recent years, such as the attack in the city of Elad on Independence Day about two years ago, at the Nova music festival on October 7, and a large number of other serious attacks.
This is the first lawsuit by victims of terrorism that has been filed since the new law for compensating victims of terror was passed in March, which states that victims of terrorism will be able to sue those who transfer funding to pay for terrorism and encourage attacks by paying salaries to terrorists, and to receive compensation of 10 million shekels per family whose relative was murdered in a terrorist attack, and 5 million shekels for anyone injured.
The law, along with the change in the attitude of the Israeli authorities, takes on a new meaning when you look at the huge sums of money seized in the IDF's activities in Gaza and the West Bank, which are used by Hamas and the various terrorist organizations. Therefore, in fact, the law is another step for the state in the fight against the financiers of terrorism.
"The subject of this lawsuit is cruel and heinous acts of terrorism, as a result of which the lives of many people were cut short and others were injured, when their only sin was being Jews and Israelis," the lawsuit reads. "The defendant (the Palestinian Authority) encouraged, supported and ratified these acts of terrorism, among other things by paying rewards to the perpetrators of the acts of terrorism and their families."
Their only sin was being Jews and Israelis
The lawsuit also states that the Palestinian Authority has engaged in terrorism through military organizations acting on its behalf, initiated murderous terrorist attacks against the citizens of the State of Israel, incited the murder of Israelis, encouraged the execution of terrorist acts, imprisoned and tortured those who assisted in countering terrorism, and financed, instigated and sanctioned terrorist attacks through, among other things, the supply of combat equipment and weapons and by paying the salaries to terrorists and their families, "when it thereby encourages the next murderers."
The bereaved families who filed the lawsuit also see the Palestinian Authority as being responsible for the October 7 massacre. "The fruits of the defendant's conduct as an encourager, instigator and rewarder of acts of terrorism have been reflected in the fact that over the past few years, the State of Israel has faced incessant incidents of murderous terrorist attacks culminating in a murderous surprise attack -cruel and shocking - in which about 1,400 civilians and soldiers were murdered and about 240 women, men, the elderly and babies were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. Along with the fact that many of the defendant's senior officials expressed support for the terrible massacre, the defendant is rewarding the human monsters who carried out the terrible massacre and their families," according to the lawsuit.
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Families visit the site of the massacre at the Nova music festival, a half a year after the October 7 attack
(Photo: Abir Sultan/EPA)
The lawsuit also says that the Palestinian Authority works to feed the terror monster by rewarding terrorism when it enacted laws and regulations according to which any terrorist who murdered or wounded Israelis - whether civilians or soldiers, men or women, adults or children - would be entitled to financial compensation from the defendant for the act of terrorism which he carried out. "The defendant's legislation states that the more serious the act of terrorism, the greater the reward for the terrorist. More blood equals more money."
Attorney Barak Kedem from the Arbus Kedem Tzur law office, who represents the plaintiffs, said that "the war on terror is currently concentrated in two areas: the Gaza Strip and the courtrooms. In the Gaza Strip, our soldiers are fighting terrorism. In the courtrooms, we fight the encouragement of terrorism by the Palestinian Authority, which every month pays huge salaries to terrorists in exchange for the blood they shed, the blood of righteous and pure men, women and children. We will fight on all fronts until victory."