January 12, 2015 | Quoted by IPT News

Terror Victims Take Palestinian Authority to Court


A significant judgment against the Palestinian Authority could give the United States some leverage in getting PA President Mahmoud Abbas to back off the unilateral moves, said Jonathan Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“You're looking at a Palestinian Authority that has eroded a lot of good will that was built up over the nine months of the Kerry negotiating process, where Abbas largely came out looking like the good guy,” Schanzer said. “I think that good will is now being eroded and I can certainly see Congress looking to withhold additional funds.”

But, Schanzer points out, until the case is resolved, it's premature to guess what political fallout might result.

The view in Washington is that the PA today is vastly different from the one run by Yasser Arafat during the years covered by the Sokolow lawsuit. Abbas is credited with ending the intifada in which these attacks took place and with eliminating the entities which organized terror attacks.

“Nevertheless, it is still the government,” Schanzer said. “And the government is responsible.”

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