More than 50 terror victims and their relatives have filed a suit in a federal court against the Swiss bank UBS AG, alleging that it allowed the transfer of money to Iran with the knowledge that Tehran funds terrorism in Israel. The lawsuit demands more than $500 million in compensation.
Their lawyer, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Tel Aviv, told Newsday that the bank is liable "as much as Iran or the terrorists" for damages. UBS was fined $100 million four years ago for sending dollars to Iran, Cuba, Libya and Yugoslavia, but the bank did not directly admit guilt.
The latest lawsuit involves several Hamas and Hizbullah suicide bombings and rocket attacks in Israel between 1997 and 2001. One of the victims, Los Angeles student Rachel Rothstein, was 15 years old when she suffered chest and shoulder injuries in a triple suicide bombing in Jerusalem. "I was very upset when I heard the bank had sent money to Iran," she said concerning the lawsuit against UBS AG.