US jury orders Palestinians to pay $218 million over Jerusalem attacks

A US jury on Monday found Palestinian authorities liable for six attacks in Jerusalem that killed and injured Americans, awarding victims and their families more than $218 million in damages.
Under the US anti-terrorism act, the damages are automatically tripled, meaning that the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) are liable to pay more than $650 million.
The jury reached its verdict following two half-days of deliberations, ending a landmark trial under US district judge George Daniels in New York that lasted more than five weeks.


The six attacks killed 33 people and wounded more than 390 others between January 2002 and January 2004.
The bombings and shootings were carried out by Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades — blacklisted as terrorist organizations in the United States — during the second Palestinian uprising againstIsrael.
The 12-member jury decided unanimously that the PA and PLO were liable on 25 separate counts connected to the six attacks.
They apportioned individual damages ranging from $1 million to $25 million to Americans who were injured or lost loved ones.
The total falls well short of the $1 billion sought by lawyers for 11 plaintiff families when the trial opened in mid-January.
- Steps against PA assets -
But attorney Kent Yalowitz welcomed the verdict.
“This is a great day for our country, it’s a great day for those who fight terror, we’re so proud of our families who stood up,” he told reporters.
“We’re so impressed with how seriously the jury took their job, it’s really amazing, very humbling.”
It remains unclear if and how the Palestinian Authority can pay.
The Palestinian leadership is in serious financial difficulty because of revenue frozen by Israel.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/us-jury-orders-palestinians-to-pay-218-million-over-jerusalem-attacks/