June 20, 2025 — New York, NY
American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, welcomes today's unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization. The ruling upholds a 2019 law that allows American victims of Palestinian terrorists to file civil lawsuits against terrorist organizations in American courts. In partnership with 13 other Jewish organizations, AJC submitted a brief to the court in February urging the Court to rule as it did today.
Today’s unanimous decision is a victory for American citizens who fall victim to vicious acts of terrorism overseas. Allowing victims to pursue justice in U.S. courts provides a clear message to terrorists who kill or harm Americans that they will be held to account for their crimes.
As explained in AJC’s brief to the Supreme Court in this case, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Palestinian Authority (PA) “have been leaders in the planning, funding, and rewarding of terrorism against Jews” through a so-called martyrs’ fund, which has become known as a “pay-for-slay” program. Due to the nature of this program, “[t]he more deadly the attack and the longer the terrorist spends in prison, the greater the stipends.” The program compensates the families of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists and suicide bombers – including those who participated in the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in Israel.
The court’s ruling allows for the reinstatement of two lawsuits brought on behalf of Americans killed or injured in Israel, namely during a 2001 shooting attack, a 2002 bombing at a university, a bombing of a bus in 2004, and a stabbing in 2018. The decision provides a vital tool in addressing and preventing violent acts of international terrorism.
AJC has called for the Palestinian Authority to change its practices surrounding its support for terrorism. Under U.S. Law, the U.S. Government is barred from providing financial support that directly benefits the PLO or PA until “pay-for-slay” payments fully end and the PLO and PA publicly condemn acts of violence, take steps to investigate or cooperate in investigations of such acts, and commit to peaceful existence between Israelis and Palestinians. AJC welcomed the initial actions that were taken by the PA to make progress toward ending these payments this year, but much more must be done to ensure that the PLO and PA significantly reform in this regard.
AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org
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