Palestinian groups ask Supreme Court to pause payments to U.S. Intifada victims

Key Points:

• Mark Sokolow and other American victims were awarded over $650 million in 2015 by a New York federal court for injuries sustained in Palestinian attacks during 2000-2005, but the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) appealed, blocking the payment.
• In March 2026, a judge reinstated the award following changes in U.S. law that allowed American citizens to sue foreign entities like the Palestinian groups, after the Supreme Court upheld this jurisdiction in 2025.
• The Palestinian Authority and PLO have now filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the payment, arguing that enforcing the award would strain their government resources, harm innocent citizens, and threaten regional security.
• The legal dispute centers on whether U.S. courts can hold these international Palestinian organizations liable and whether the reinstated award can stand given it was voided before the 2019 law change that allowed such lawsuits.
• The Supreme Court’s decision on the emergency request will determine whether the payment is halted while the Palestinian groups continue to challenge the ruling.