The decision allows American victims and their families to continue pursuing compensation after more than two decades of litigation.
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday rejected an emergency request from the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization to halt enforcement of a $655.5 million terrorism judgment while they pursue an appeal.
The case was brought by American victims and relatives of those killed or wounded in six terrorist attacks in Israel between 2001 and 2004. The attacks killed 33 people and injured hundreds more.
A federal jury found the Palestinian organizations liable in 2015 under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Although an appeals court later overturned the judgment on jurisdictional grounds, Congress revised the law, and the Supreme Court upheld that jurisdictional framework in 2025. The Second Circuit reinstated the judgment in March.
The Palestinian organizations warned that enforcing the award could destabilize government services in the West Bank and threaten regional security. Sotomayor denied their request for a stay, leaving the judgment in force as the legal battle continues.
For the victims and their families, the ruling marks another hard-won step toward accountability after more than 20 years in court.
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