The Jerusalem District Court has ordered the seizure of NIS 50 million ($13.6 million) from the Palestinian Authority in preparation for Rabbi Leo Dee’s lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for the murder of three members of his family in April 2023.
The lawsuit filed by the bereaved rabbi points to the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas for the terrorist attack that killed his wife Lucy and two daughters, Maia and Rina.
The temporary seizure order is the first step in the legal process of recovering compensation from the responsible parties. Lucy (48), Maia (20) and Rina (15) Dee were killed when terrorists opened fire at the car they were travelling in during a Passover outing in the Jordan Valley in April 2023.
The three gunmen were members of the Hamas Al Qassam Brigade, later identified and neutralized by the IDF in Shechem.
The families of all three terrorists have since been granted monthly “salaries” from the Palestinian Authority as a reward for the efforts of their bloodthirsty loved ones through the PA’s “pay for slay” program.
“The Palestinian Authority is a terrorist entity that finances murderers and terrorists. If every terror victim in Israel were to file similar lawsuits against the PA and demand compensation for their losses, including victims of the October 7 massacre, we would weaken their ability to fund terrorism. Together, we can prevent future atrocities,” Dee pointed out.
In accordance with the Oslo Accords, Israel is responsible for collecting customs duties and other tax revenues on behalf of the PA and transferring them to Ramallah on a monthly basis.
However, in 2018 Israel passed a law requiring that a sum equal to the stipends that the PA pays to security prisoners and the families of slain attackers be withheld from the tax revenues it transfers.
Last year, the Knesset passed the Compensation of Victims of Terrorism Bill, which enables victims of terrorism and their families to file damages-seeking lawsuits against parties offering financial support or compensation for committing acts of terrorism.
Avi Guez, from the law office of Nitsana Darshan-Leitner & Avi Segal represented Dee and welcomed the seizure order in the case.
“This court order is one of the first of its kind, setting a useful precedent for future cases”, said Guez. “We will be helping other terror victims’ families to sue for compensation from funds seized by Israel from the PA.
“While Hamas and its allies are using “lawfare” to attack Israel in international courts, we will use Israeli law to challenge their funding of terrorism and win compensation for innocent victims like the Dee family.”
Members of the Dee family gathered this week to present three new ambulances to Magen David Adom as part of the events organized to mark the second anniversary of the terror attack that killed Lucy, Maia and Rina Dee.
The ambulances, purchased by an anonymous donor, will be deployed to save lives in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Efrat, where the Dee family resides.
