US Supreme Court rules American terror victims living in Israel can sue the Palestinian Authority

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that American terror victims can sue the Palestinian Authority (PA) for its incitement and complicity in various terrorist attacks against American citizens living in Israel.

The landmark ruling was passed with a unanimous 9-0 vote. While lawsuits involving U.S. terror victims in Israel have existed for many years, it was previously unclear whether U.S. courts could legally intervene in the disputes. In addition to its systematic antisemitic incitement, the PA’s controversial pay-for-slay policy has financially incentivized murder of Israelis and Jews. 

Miriam Fuld, the widow of the American Israeli Ari Fuld who was killed in a stabbing attack in 2018 by a 17-year-old Palestinian Arab terrorist Khalil Yusef Ali Jabarin, filed a suit already in 2021. Despite being mortally wounded, Fuld succeeded in shooting and seriously wounding his attacker before collapsing on the ground. Jabarin recovered from his wounds. 

Mrs. Fuld welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling. 

“It was about an hour and a half before Shabbat when my lawyer rings me and says, ‘Hot off the press, we won 9-0.’ At first I didn’t understand what he was saying. 9-0 means unanimous. That’s amazing,” she said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.  

Mrs. Fuld and other families of American terror victims have for years faced a steep and long path towards justice. It was only after an Israeli court convicted Jabarin that Fuld could formally ask the U.S. court system to continue the legal proceedings. In 2020, Jabarin was convicted of murder and received a life sentence in prison. However, in February 2025, Jabarin was released as part of the controversial internationally brokered Israel-Hamas hostage-prisoner exchange. 

The lawyer Maurice Hirsch who handled the criminal case against Jabarin, assessed that the terrorist had received a minimum of 4,000 shekels ($1,178 USD) per month from the PA as part of its “pay for slay” policy. 

“This is what we are up against, a 17-year-old who woke up one day and said, ‘I’m going to go and slaughter a Jew,’” Fuld’s widow recalled.

“One thing he knew for sure that morning was that he was financing his family for the rest of his life. He was getting that bonus; he was going to get paid,” she continued. 

Mrs. Fuld argued that there has so far been no legal deterrence against terrorists. 

“There is no downside for these murderers... these terrorists. There is no deterrence,” she assessed. 

“But he received three meals a day in jail. He barely sat for four years in jail – and then he was released. Meanwhile, we are left with this hole in our lives,” Mrs. Fuld argued.

The Fuld family’s attorney Samuel Silverman explained why he decided to take on their case. 

“The case really demonstrates that terrorists and entities that sponsor them are not going to get away with it,” Silverman stated. “If they think they can just sponsor someone and pay money to terrorists and their families, we are going to figure out a way to make them pay."

Mrs. Fuld appeared to agree. “That’s what is so incredible about this whole thing. It is about recognizing the PA and the PLO for the terrorism that they promote.” 

“It is about exposing them for what they do and who they are, and for giving a voice for international terror victims – and victims of Palestinian terror – all over the world,” she concluded. 

Silverman described the U.S. court decision as a crucial one. 

“It really sets a precedent,” Silverman assessed. “It moves the needle in terms of jurisdiction, which is the single greatest issue in terrorism cases. Future judges might think twice when dismissing cases on jurisdictional grounds." 

“What this case has demonstrated is that when it comes to Israel and terrorism, there is clear bipartisan support,” Silverman continued. “The message of this case in an era of really partisan politics is that people can agree that terrorism cannot be tolerated." 

In February 2025, the PA announced that it would end its controversial pay for slay policy. However, given the PA’s continued incitement against Israel and Jews, it is highly debatable whether the Abbas regime in Ramallah genuinely seeks to end its financial payouts to terrorists who murder Israelis and Jews. 

Some Israeli officials dismissed the PA announcement as a PR ploy to placate U.S. President Donald Trump.