A Jerusalem district court has ordered the temporary seizure of 65 million shekels (roughly $18 million) from tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the ‘Palestinian Authority’, following a massive lawsuit filed by 15 victims of the deadly October 2014 ramming attack at Glilot Junction. District Judge Ilan Sela issued the ruling Sunday.
The attack murdered Betzalel Carmi Z”L and injured 37 others, some seriously. The attacker, an Israeli Arab from Qalansuwa, was shot at the scene by an IDF officer. After the attack, the attacker’s family tried to claim it was a traffic accident, but Israel determined it was a terror attack and recognized the victims as casualties of hostile action.
The lawsuit was filed under Israel’s terror victims compensation law, which took effect in 2024 and establishes a defined compensation mechanism for terror victims. Under the law, a victim with permanent disability is entitled to 5 million shekels in compensation, while the family of someone killed is entitled to 10 million shekels.
The lawsuit alleges that the ‘Palestinian Authority’ “encouraged, supported, and endorsed acts of terror against Israeli citizens,” including through payments to terrorists and their families. “The defendant endorsed the act of terror and paid and continues to pay rewards to the family members of the terrorist who carried out the act of terror that is the subject of this lawsuit,” the complaint states.
Attorney Aviad Ofir, who represents the plaintiffs and is leading the legal proceedings, welcomed the decision: “This ruling represents a significant step in achieving justice for the victims, using legal mechanisms that allow us to seize funds transferred to the ‘Palestinian Authority’ to ensure payment of the future judgment.”