The Jordan-based Arab Bank was served with a precedent-setting, 20-billion-shekel ($5.75 billion) lawsuit Dec. 29 in Jerusalem’s District Court. Behind the suit were 1,132 victims and casualties of terrorism and their families, who are accusing the bank of cooperating, supporting, abetting, funding and encouraging terrorist activities, which resulted in thousands of casualties. The plaintiffs claim that the bank was involved in funding terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and other terrorist organizations.
Among other things, this lawsuit is based on a similar, successful lawsuit against the Arab Bank in the United States in 2004. Initially, Israeli and American citizens filed the suit together, but the court decided to separate the American and the Israeli plaintiffs. The final compromise ruling covered victims of terrorism, who held American citizenship.
