Nearly 300 bereaved families have requested to join as respondents in the Palestinian Authority's petition against Israel's Victims of Hostile Actions Compensation Law, which permits families to claim up to 10 million shekels per murder victim and 5 million shekels per terror victim from entities funding terrorism.
In May, the Palestinian Authority petitioned the High Court of Justice to annul both the Victims of Hostile Actions Compensation Law and the Terror Victims Compensation Law, passed by the Knesset in March.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the petition on August 4. The Palestinian Authority argues that these laws are "illegal, infringe on its economic sovereignty and will lead to its financial collapse."
This marks the first instance of the Palestinian Authority petitioning the High Court to overturn a law passed by the Knesset. Nearly 300 bereaved families, including members of the Choosing Life forum, have filed to join as respondents.
"We will fight to have this petition dismissed outright," declared Attorney Barak Kedem, who represents the victims and their families. "The Palestinian Authority's attempt to evade compensating terror victims while financing bloodshed will not succeed. There can be no funding for terrorism without compensating its victims."
The first lawsuit by terror victims following the law's enactment was filed earlier this month Dozens of bereaved families, including those who lost loved ones in the past year, sued the Palestinian Authority for NIS 210 million ($58.8 million) in the Jerusalem District Court. The lawsuit claims the Palestinian Authority initiates, supports and encourages terrorism against Israeli citizens, rewarding terrorists with substantial financial payments, in a scheme that came to be known as "pay for slay."
Attorney Barak KedemPhoto: Adi LahmPlaintiffs include families of victims from recent attacks, such as the 2022 Independence Day massacre in Elad, the Nova music festival on October 7 and numerous other attacks. "This lawsuit addresses brutal acts of terrorism that resulted in the deaths and injuries of many, solely because they were Jewish and Israeli," the lawsuit reads. "The Palestinian Authority encouraged, supported, and legitimized these acts of terrorism, including through compensatory payments to the perpetrators and their families."
The lawsuit also claims that the Palestinian Authority operated terrorism through military organizations acting on its behalf, initiated deadly terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, incited the murder of Israelis, encouraged terrorist actions, imprisoned and tortured informants who helped thwart terrorism and financed, instigated and legitimized terrorist attacks, including by supplying weapons and salaries to terrorists and their families, "thereby encouraging future murderers."