U.S. Appeals Court Upholds $656 Million Judgment Against Palestinian Authorities

Mon Apr 06 2026 20:52:46 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a landmark ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstates a $656 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority, allowing U.S. victims of terrorist attacks in Israel to seek justice. This decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that enables lawsuits under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

A decade after the original verdict was overturned, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a $656 million judgment against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The ruling, prompted by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that revokes previous limitations on suing foreign entities for acts of terrorism, allows U.S. victims and their families to pursue their claims in a U.S. court for the first time. Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner expressed satisfaction with the ruling after 22 years of litigation.

NEW YORK (AP) — The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities, a pivotal ruling that allows American victims of terror attacks in Israel to pursue their claims. This decision comes ten years after the court initially overturned the verdict due to jurisdictional concerns regarding foreign entities.

The reinstatement aligns with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last June, which supported the passage of a 2019 law allowing such lawsuits to move forward against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.

The panel of judges stated, We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court’s decision. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs expressed relief that the court reinstated the judgment without necessitating a new trial, stating the families have been waiting for justice for an extended period.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, another attorney for the plaintiffs, expressed her satisfaction with the ruling after 22 years of litigation aimed at holding the Palestinian authorities accountable. The victims assert that Palestinian agents were either directly involved in the attacks or incited them through their actions.

Despite their arguments against jurisdiction, the Palestinian authorities are now facing substantial legal repercussions as a result of this reinstatement, opening a new chapter in the U.S. legal landscape concerning international terrorism.