Israeli tour guides win lawsuit against Palestinian Authority, 20 years after filing
Guides suffered income losses during the Second Intifada due to the PA's terror campaign that lasted from September 2000 to 2005
The Palestinian Authority must pay damages to 59 Israeli tour guides who lost income during the Second Intifada some 20 years ago, a court in Jerusalem ruled on Tuesday.
The tour guides sued the Palestinian Authority (PA), claiming that their businesses suffered income losses during the Second Intifada due to the PA's terror campaign that lasted from September 2000 to 2005.
Shurat HaDin Law, a non-governmental organization that represented the 59 tour guides in court, claimed that “terror attacks and threats of violence caused a severe blow to the tourism industry at the time,” according to the Times of Israel.
The lawsuit took a record long time to reach its conclusion, as it was filed around two decades ago when the Second Intifada was at its worst. In a partial ruling in 2019, Israeli Judge Moshe Drori concluded that the PA was responsible for the wave of terror attacks, and for damaging the tourism industry.
“The Palestinian Authority had several aims — not just to kill Jews and Israelis, but also to damage Israel’s economy, including tourism, to put pressure on the Israeli government to submit to Palestinian demands,” Drori said, according to Kan news.
The plaintiffs received a total of NIS 5.5 million ($1.5 million) in compensation.
If the PA does not pay for the damages, Israel may compensate the plaintiffs by deducting the sum from the taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Fourteen of the 59 plaintiffs who are no longer living, were represented by their heirs.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
