Jerusalem Court Freezes 65 Million Shekels from Palestinian Authority Funds in Terror-Victims Lawsuit

The Jerusalem District Court, led by Judge Ilan Sela, ordered the seizure of 65 million shekels from the tax funds that Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority. It was reported today (Monday) on Channel 14 News. The seizure was granted as part of a damages lawsuit filed by 15 victims of the car-ramming attack at the Glilot Junction, which occurred in October 2014.

As a reminder, in the car-ramming attack, Batzalel Carmi, HY"D, was killed and 37 other people were injured, some of them seriously. The attacker, an Arab Israeli from Kalansuwa, 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 the State of Israel determined it was a terror attack. The victims were recognized as victims of hostile acts.

Over the past year, several lawsuits have been filed by terror victims. The court has repeatedly ordered the freezing of funds that were slated to be transferred from Israel to the Palestinian Authority. The lawsuits are filed under the Terror Victims Compensation Law that came into effect in 2024. Under the law, a victim determined to have a permanent disability is entitled to compensation of 5 million shekels, while the family of a murder victim is entitled to 10 million shekels.