U.S. citizen awarded in terror attack

A U.S. federal jury decided that the PLO and Palestinian Authority owe $16 million to an American Jew injured in a Palestinian terrorist attack. Moshe Saperstein, who has Israeli citizenship as well, was attacked by Al-Aksa Brigades gunmen in 2002 while driving his car. He suffered hand injuries; another driver was killed, along with two Israeli soldiers who responded to the attack. Saperstein said the PLO and Palestinian Authority were complicit in the attack. The defendants originally attempted to claim immunity from prosecution as a sovereign state; when this failed, they opted not to defend themselves. Saperstein’s lawyer now will try to find Palestinian assets in the United States in order to satisfy the judgment, the amount of which could be tripled under a law allowing American citizens to sue groups involved in overseas terrorism.