A precedent-setting ruling that was handed down Tuesday by the Jerusalem District Court could change the rules of the game in the fight against terrorism.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) and PLO will be obligated to compensate the families of the victims of the 2001 Sbarro attack in tens of millions of shekels.
The lawsuit is based on a shocking human story: Attorney Meir Schijveschuurder, who is leading the legal battle, lost his parents and three younger brothers in the attack. "It will bring relief to the victims' families," said Schijveschuurder, who now represents about eighty terror victims.
The precedent-setting decision is based on a Supreme Court ruling from 2022, which states that the Palestinian Authority bears responsibility for the attacks, because it financially supported the terrorists' families. The compensation may reach NIS 10 million for each victim.
The far-reaching implications of this verdict is that the ruling opens the door for families of terror victims, including victims of October 7th, to demand compensation from the Palestinian Authority. The funds are due to come from tax revenues that Israel deducts from its transfers to the PA.
"The State of Israel, through the court, will bring violent terror to a halt," Schijveschuurder told Channel 12 News, "because the Palestinians will not be able to afford it economically."