Supreme Court Endorses U.S. Law for Terror Victim Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a 2019 law enabling lawsuits against Palestinian authorities by American victims of terrorism, overturning a lower court decision. This ruling supports plaintiffs seeking damages for past attacks in Israel and the West Bank. The case was grounded in foreign policy considerations.

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision on Friday, upholding a statute crafted by Congress to empower lawsuits against Palestinian authorities, facilitating compensation claims by Americans affected by overseas attacks. This was in response to the pursuit of monetary damages linked to incidents in Israel and the West Bank, dating back years.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, authoring the ruling, asserted that the 2019 jurisdictional law aligns with due process rights protected by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Roberts emphasized that the law is an integral component of a broader foreign policy framework, ensuring that U.S. victims of terrorism can seek justice under the Antiterrorism Act of 1990.

With the backing of both the U.S. government and American victims' families, the appeal challenged a lower court's dismissal of a statutory provision. Among the plaintiffs are families awarded a $655 million verdict in a 2015 case against Palestinian organizations. Current proceedings relate to ongoing jurisdictional debates in U.S. courts concerning the Palestinian Authority and PLO's overseas activities.

(With inputs from agencies.)