Israeli lawsuit seeks $363 Mn compensation from Palestinian president, official

Ten Jewish families filed a lawsuit at the Central Court in Jerusalem demanding the Palestinian Authority (PA) and President Mahmoud Abbas pay $363 million in compensation for the death of their sons in “terrorist” attacks.

The families, backed by a number of far-right parties, asserted that no amount of money can compensate their losses, but they want it to deter “terror supporters.”

The lawsuit was based on the fact that the PA pays salaries to the Palestinian prisoners who carried out the attacks, their families, and the families of the martyrs. But Israelis believe that the payments would encourage Palestinian youth to carry out operations against Israelis.

The case was filed against Abbas in his capacity as president of the PA and the first person responsible for transferring salaries. It included excerpts from his statements in which he praised the prisoners and martyrs, asserting that salaries will continue to be transferred to them or their families.

The case also targeted Intissar al-Wazir, the widow of Fatah’s top official Khalil al-Wazir who was assassinated by Israel in Tunis in 1988. She is the current president of the PA’s prisoners and martyrs’ fund.

The lawyer representing the families, Gill Maman, said he was confident the court would rule in their favor.

He indicated that if the Palestinian Authority refuses to pay, he will go to the court to ensure the Israeli government deducts these sums from the taxes and customs it collects on behalf of the Authority.

The PA appointed an Israeli lawyer, Yossi Arnon, to represent it before the court.

Israel deducts a monthly sum equal to the value of the salaries from tax and customs allocations.

The Authority is trying to find a way to pay salaries to the families of prisoners and martyrs and circumvent the Israeli measures.