Palestinian Authorities Ask Supreme Court to Halt $656m Judgment Pending Appeal

PALESTINE – Palestinian authorities asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to halt, for now, a $656 million judgment in a long-running lawsuit filed by Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel.

The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.

The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would “destabilize critical government services petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security.”

They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.