In a landmark ruling, the US District Court for the District of Columbia has ordered Iran and Syria to pay $191 million in damages for their roles in the 2018 murder of Ari Fuld, an American-Israeli killed by a Hamas terrorist. Judge Royce Lamberth held that Iran and Syria, as state sponsors of Hamas terrorism, were complicit in Fuld’s murder and ordered them to pay damages to his estate and surviving family members.

“The stabbing that killed Mr. Fuld was a tragic event, and money cannot fully account for the harm that these defendants have inflicted,” Lamberth wrote. “Iran and Syria have, once again, provided material support to Hamas and thereby facilitated the savage murder of a husband, father, son, and brother to these plaintiffs.”

Richard Heideman, senior counsel for the plaintiffs, stated that the ruling sends a clear message to Hamas’s sponsors that their support for terrorism will not be tolerated. “The court’s ruling today cannot erase plaintiffs’ pain, but it can begin the process of affording them due compensation for their loss,” he said.

Fuld was a US-born Israeli who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist in Gush Etzion. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, and Iran and Syria’s involvement was established through evidence presented in court.

The ruling is significant as it sets a precedent for victims of terrorism to seek justice against state sponsors of terrorism. The Fulds may face challenges in collecting the damages from Iran and Syria, but Heideman noted that there are pathways to pursue what they are owed, including the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

The case also highlights the threat of Hamas and its backers, with Heideman stating that the same legal remedies may be pursued by victims of the recent October 7 attack. “It’s not a military act, but it’s an act of defiance that is essential,” he said. “It won’t bring lives back, but it will bring dignity to the memory of those whose lives were taken.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)