In the News
B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin spoke with JNS about the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling that allows American victims of Palestinian terrorism to sue the Palestinian Authority and PLO for damages in U.S. courts.
Americans who are victims of Palestinian terror can sue for damages in U.S. courts, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Friday, upholding the constitutionality of the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019.
The 2019 law expands the 1992 Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows Americans harmed by overseas terror attacks to sue foreign entities, including the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, for damages.
“It is permissible for the federal government to craft a narrow jurisdictional provision that ensures, as part of a broader foreign policy agenda, that Americans injured or killed by acts of terror have an adequate forum in which to vindicate their right to Anti-Terrorism Act compensation,” wrote John Roberts, the high court chief justice.
*****
Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International, told JNS that “today’s unanimous Supreme Court ruling is a landmark victory for American victims of Palestinian terrorism—and for justice itself.”
The court’s decision “reaffirms their right to seek redress in U.S. courts and sets a precedent that those who carry out, support or enable acts of international terror can and will be held accountable—now and in the future.”