Palestinian Officials to File an Appeal Towards US-Imposed Fine
19 October 2018 15:53 WIB
TEMPO.CO, New York - Palestine officials said they would appeal towards the verdict rendered by the jury of the Federal Court in Manhattan, New York, which fined Palestine for damages it caused in Israel within the past decade.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestine National Authority (PNA) was very upset after the court ordered them to pay a fine of US$218.5 million for damages. The decision comes after a lawsuit filed by 10 American families who lost their relatives terrorist attacks.
The attacks, which occurred during the 2002 to 2004 period, killed 33 people including US citizens. Under the US Anti-Terrorism Act, the fine was tripled up to US$655 million.
"We will appeal this decision and we are confident that we will prevail," said Deputy Minister Mahmoud Khalifa in a first response to the verdict. "We have faith in the US legal system and are certain about our common sense belief and our strong legal standing."
However, if the appeal fails, it is certain that Palestine will declare bankruptcy. Secretary of State John Kerry said that there have been concerns that the PNA will collapse unless the collected taxes, still under Israel's custody, is given to them.
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