Almog v. Arab Bank
Motley Rice continues its groundbreaking fight against terrorism on behalf of almost 6,000 individuals victimized by Palestinian terrorist organizations in Israel in an unprecedented civil action against Arab Bank, plc.
Almog v. Arab Bank Lawsuit
The Almog v. Arab Bank lawsuit is brought by survivors and family members of those killed or maimed by terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Plaintiffs include citizens from the United States, Afghanistan, Argentina, France, Israel, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The complaint alleges that Arab Bank has aided and abetted genocide and crimes against humanity in violation of international laws by serving as the paymaster to families of terrorist suicide bombers. Such funding provides incentive for future suicide bombers to carry out their deadly attacks against unwitting and innocent civilians within Israel.
In particular, the international bank allegedly served as the banker for a massive, government-supported fundraising campaign in Saudi Arabia that has funneled more than $100 million from public and private sources to Palestinian terrorist groups and the families of suicide bombers. Arab Bank also allegedly created and managed a formalized process which requires beneficiaries to obtain an official certification of their deceased relative's status as a suicide bomber before receiving money.
Read the full Almog et al. v. Arab Bank complaint.
Judicial Sanctions Against Arab Bank
On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, the Honorable Judge Nina Gershon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued a court order in the Arab Bank lawsuit stating that the jury "will be instructed that, based on the defendant's failure to produce documents, it may, but is not required to, infer that the defendant provided financial services to organizations designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and to individuals affiliated with the FTOs." A trial date has not yet been set, and Arab Bank continues its refusal to provide the requested documents, denying that it ever knowingly offered financial or other aid to support terrorist activity.
Read the full Arab Bank lawsuit court order.
Arab Bank is headquartered in Amman, Jordan, and is one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East with a global network of more than 400 branches and offices in 25 countries, including the United States. It operates 22 branches throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip that facilitated its role as the paymaster to the families of suicide bombers. Arab Bank has also operated a federally chartered branch in New York City for 20 years that allegedly facilitated the conversion of currency from Saudi Royals to U.S. dollars for transfer to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
For more information about Almog v. Arab Bank or other cases related to acts of terrorism in Israel, contact attorney Jodi W. Flowers by email or call +1 800.768.4026.