On The Heels Of The Holy Land Foundation Trial--Another Victory Against Terrorists

If you check this list of Americans murdered by Palestinian terrorists, you'll find the following:

March 4, 1996, Tel Aviv, Israel. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device outside the Dizengoff Center, David Boim Tel Aviv's largest shopping mall, killing 20 March 4, 1996 Tel Aviv Bombing persons and injuring 75 others, including two U.S. citizens. Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing.

This is relevant because yesterday, 12 years later:

A federal appeals court upheld a $156 million judgment Wednesday against three U.S.-based Islamic groups accused of bankrolling terrorism in a landmark civil case.

The U.S. charities must be held liable if they gave money to groups that engage in terrorist acts, even if they designated the funds were for humanitarian purposes, the decision by the 10 judges on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said.

The suit was filed in 2000 by the parents of American-born David Boim, who was a 17-year-old yeshiva student when he was killed by Hamas terrorists in a 1996 drive-by shooting at a bus stop on Israel's West Bank. The Boims' lawsuit claimed the groups that gave to Palestinian charities ultimately helped fund terrorism.

"This is the most significant judicial opinion on liability for terrorist financing ever decided by a United States court," said Chicago attorney Stephen Landes, who represented Boim's parents.

The decision upheld a lower-court judgment against the American Muslim Society, the Islamic Association for Palestine-National and the Quranic Literacy Institute.

The appeals court also sent civil allegations against a fourth charity — the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development — back to U.S. District Court for a decision on whether it should have to pay part of the $156 million.

And what happened to the actual terrorists?

The Palestinian Authority in 1997 arrested two men described as Boim's attackers. One confessed and was sentenced to 10 years by a Palestinian court.

But lest you give too much credit to the Palestinian Arabs...

According to the Boim suit, the other was released and participated in a suicide bombing that killed five civilians and injured 192.

That is still better than what has been done to bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who murdered Americans John Branchizio, Mark Parson, and John Martin Linde Jr. on October 15, 2003.

There is still a lot of work to do.

Read other posts on terrorists on trial.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Palestinian Terrorism.