A NEW YORK federal jury has ordered the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) to pay nearly $219 million (£129m) in compensation for violence against US citizens.

Ten US families broke new ground in using US courts to seek damages under the Anti-Terrorism Act for six attacks attributed to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas more than a decade ago.

Victims’ families had demanded $350m (£206m) over shootings and bombings in 2002 to 2004 that killed 33 people and injured over 450.

“Now the PLO and the PA know there is a price for supporting terrorism,” said plaintiffs’ lawyer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.

The defendants announced that they would appeal, while Palestinian Deputy Information Minister Mahmoud Khalifa said that the PLO/PA were “deeply disappointed by the adverse decision issued today in a New York court.”

Washington does not recognise Palestine as a state, so the PLO and PA have no immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which prevents lawsuits against foreign countries in US courts.

Mr Khalifa called the case the latest attempt by hardline anti-peace factions in Israel to abuse the US legal system to advance their narrow political and ideological agenda.
Their intent was, he said, “to block a two-state solution, advance the illegal settlements in our land, continue to attack and divert PLO and PA limited resources from needed services and programmes for our people and to distract the public from the everyday inequities and injustices Palestinians face and which we try to address through a proper legal framework.”
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