WASHINGTON — The Anti-Defamation League’s legal team is partnering with a top-ranked American legal firm to seek compensation for U.S. victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacres in Israel.
The lawsuit, filed by the ADL and the Crowell and Moring law firm, accuses Iran, Syria, and North Korea of abetting the terrorists responsible for murdering some 1,200 people on Oct. 7. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation under a 2015 law that aims to compensate victims of state-sponsored terrorism through criminal penalties and seized assets.
“Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of antisemitism and terror — along with Syria and North Korea, they must be held responsible for their roles in the largest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL CEO.
The lawsuit alleges that Iran, Syria, and North Korea provided material support to Hamas in carrying out the Oct. 7 attack. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the lawyers are working with lawmakers in Congress to pass a law that would ensure a significant portion of fines levied on state sponsors of terrorism go to the victims.
Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Dan Goldman, along with Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, are among the sponsors of the bill. The lawsuit is part of a larger effort to seek civil relief in U.S. courts for victims of the attack, with Crowell and Moring, a top-earning firm, playing a key role in the legal proceedings.
Each of the more than 100 plaintiffs in the suit is a U.S. citizen or a family member of a U.S. citizen, eligible to bring suit for the deaths, injuries, and hostage-takings caused by Hamas during the attack.
“My mom devoted her life to caring for others regardless of race or religious beliefs,” said Nahar Neta, the son of Adriennne Neta, a U.S.-born midwife who was among those murdered on Oct. 7. “She was a peace and justice seeker who was active in many civilian efforts to bridge the gap between Jews and Arabs in Israel.”