sister herb
Official TTI Chef
MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2008
Israelis can now sue the Palestinian Authority for suicide bomb attacks.
The Israeli foreign ministry ruled that the Palestinian Authority, the government led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, does not represent a country and therefore does not have immunity from such lawsuits.
The Israeli foreign ministry allowed 55 suits pressing for damages to proceed on Sunday.
Since 2000, 541 people have been killed in 131 suicide bombings in Israel.
In the same period, more than 4,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to news reports.
Relatives of victims of one of the bloodiest attacks, when 21 teenagers were killed in a 2001 bombing outside a Tel Aviv night spot, have been demanding the right to sue for damages.
Last year the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the foreign ministry to decide on the matter.
The ministry said on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority "does not enjoy immunity from prosecution in Israel" over suicide bombings.
Legal jurisdiction
Arye Mekel, the ministry's spokesman, said the significance of the decision was that Israel did not recognise the Palestinian Authority as a state government.
Usually states are immune from prosecution in the courts of another country.
A senior Palestinian official rejected the decision.
Riad Malki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister and government spokesman, said Israeli courts had no legal jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority.
"This is a political issue, not legal or judicial one," Malki said.
"We had expected [the foreign ministry] to provide a positive atmosphere for the continuation of the peace process and negotiations. We regret such inclinations. We condemn them."
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/374ADD48-9384-4E96-8C81-0456E69B2B17.htm
Israelis can now sue the Palestinian Authority for suicide bomb attacks.
The Israeli foreign ministry ruled that the Palestinian Authority, the government led by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, does not represent a country and therefore does not have immunity from such lawsuits.
The Israeli foreign ministry allowed 55 suits pressing for damages to proceed on Sunday.
Since 2000, 541 people have been killed in 131 suicide bombings in Israel.
In the same period, more than 4,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to news reports.
Relatives of victims of one of the bloodiest attacks, when 21 teenagers were killed in a 2001 bombing outside a Tel Aviv night spot, have been demanding the right to sue for damages.
Last year the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the foreign ministry to decide on the matter.
The ministry said on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority "does not enjoy immunity from prosecution in Israel" over suicide bombings.
Legal jurisdiction
Arye Mekel, the ministry's spokesman, said the significance of the decision was that Israel did not recognise the Palestinian Authority as a state government.
Usually states are immune from prosecution in the courts of another country.
A senior Palestinian official rejected the decision.
Riad Malki, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister and government spokesman, said Israeli courts had no legal jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority.
"This is a political issue, not legal or judicial one," Malki said.
"We had expected [the foreign ministry] to provide a positive atmosphere for the continuation of the peace process and negotiations. We regret such inclinations. We condemn them."
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/374ADD48-9384-4E96-8C81-0456E69B2B17.htm
