Justice Sonia Sotomayor declined Monday to block a $655.5 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization in a civil case stemming from terrorist attacks that killed and wounded Americans in Israel between 2002 and 2004.
The justice denied the request without explanation, allowing a March ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stand. That decision had revived the case after it was previously dismissed, and plaintiffs had secured the damages award in federal court in New York in 2015.
The P.A. And P.L.O. Sought a pause on payment while appealing the appellate court's decision to reinstate the case, contending that enforcing the judgment would cause severe financial harm and disrupt government services in Judea and Samaria, including security, sanitation and schools.
Plaintiffs' attorneys are expected to pursue payment from indirect Palestinian tax revenue collected by Israel, a major source of funding for Palestinian government operations.
The case arose from shootings and bombings in the Jerusalem area during 2002 to 2004. The Supreme Court upheld the relevant federal law last year, permitting such claims to move forward.