In an unusual legal move, the Obama administration has taken the legal side of the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization in a federal court case that American terrorism victims' families had already won.
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| Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and pal. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) |
Lawyers for the Justice and State Departments are arguing that the PA and PLO should not have to post a bond showing they can pay the massive damages during their appeal in U.S. federal court.
One of the families' attorneys argued otherwise. "The State Department should stand on the side of the American terror victims and not on the side of the Palestinian suicide bombers," said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of the Israel Law Center.
The jury's judgment against the Palestinian groups came in a case, Sokolow v. PLO, before Manhattan U.S. District Judge George Daniels in February and could involve penalties of more than $650 million, triple the amount of damages awarded by the jury under U.S. law, plus interest.
The money would go to victims in seven deadly terrorist attacks in Israel between 2001 and 2004, including 11 American families. Hundreds were injured and 33 killed in the attacks.
For defendants to appeal the immense judgment, the judge can require them to post a bond of a substantial portion of the damages in case they lose again. Judge Daniels had said he was likely to order that as “some meaningful demonstration that the defendant is ready and willing to pay the judgment.”
However, last week in a strange move lawyers for the American administration, which had not been a party to the lawsuit, sought to save the Palestinians from having to post bond during their legal appeal. That leaves the financial awards to American families uncovered. So, whose side is this White House on?Read the rest of this Andrew Malcolm op-ed HERE.
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