Israeli Terrorism Victims Win Initial Motion against Arab Bank

On January 30, 2007, Israeli terrorism victims won an initial victory in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York when Judge Nina Gershon rejected much of a motion to dismiss a case brought against the Arab Bank for its alleged role helping finance terrorist activities. 

 

Judge Gershon ruled that suicide bombing attacks and other forms of violence directed against civilians in Israel violate customary international law and that “plaintiffs have successfully stated claims for genocide and crimes against humanity.”  As such, she ruled that plaintiffs established a cause of action under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATS), 28 U.S.C. § 1350 and the Antiterrorism Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2331 et seq..  Her opinion and order found that the plaintiffs had shown that “Arab Bank’s provision of banking services facilitated money laundering and also facilitated the payments from [a Saudi Arabian] Committee to the suicide bombers’ beneficiaries,” creating “an incentive for suicide bombings ... [more]