Lawsuit dropped against pro-Israel group

The Islamic Society of Boston has dropped its defamation lawsuit against an Israel advocacy group. The lawsuit had charged the David Project, along with several media organizations and an anti-terrorist research group, with publicizing false accusations tying Islamic Society leaders to extremist groups.The society said it was withdrawing the suit because a lawsuit backed by the David Project threatening its right to complete a $20 million mosque will not be pursued.The bitter legal battle has strained relations between Boston’s Jewish community organizations and the society, leading to a call for mediation by some religious leaders and Jewish groups.The David Project will continue to pursue a separate public records case against the Boston Redevelopment Authority, according to its lawyer, Jeffrey Robbins.”This represents a complete vindication of the reporting that was done on the Islamic Society of Boston and a rebuff to those who thought that they could intimidate people into silence,” Robbins wrote in an e-mail to JTA.