ADL sues Iran, Syria, and North Korea alleging support for Hamas Oct. 7 attack

The Anti-Defamation League announced a federal lawsuit against Iran , Syria , and North Korea alleging they provided material support to Hamas for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

The ADL and Crowell & Moring LLP filed the lawsuit on Monday on behalf of more than 125 plaintiffs, who are U.S. citizens who were injured during the attack or who had family members who were hurt or murdered.

“There is more than ample precedent for this case: U.S. courts have repeatedly held Iran, Syria and North Korea responsible for material support of terrorist attacks that harmed U.S. and dual U.S.-Israeli citizens,” James Pasch, the ADL’s lead counsel on this case, said . "There is also clear evidence that these state sponsors of terrorism provided material support to Hamas terrorists that enabled the terrorists to commit the atrocities on October 7."

Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people and kidnapped another approximately 250 people during the terrorist attack. Several Americans were among those killed, injured, and taken hostage.

The plaintiffs are hoping to hold the countries liable under the Terrorism Exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Even if they are successful, these countries will likely ignore the lawsuits and not honor the judgments made against them.

The defendants are seeking no less than $1 billion in compensatory damages and no less than $3 billion for punitive damages.

If the defendants (in this case, Iran, Syria, and North Korea) are found liable, the plaintiffs will try to utilize the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which Congress created in 2015 to compensate those who have won judgments against state sponsors of terrorism.

“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. We are doing everything possible to hold Hamas terrorists and those who support them accountable, including putting all of ADL’s weight behind this effort,” Jonathan A. Greenblatt, the ADL's CEO and national director, said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Crowell & Moring has a history of filing and winning terrorism cases, including some arising from the bombing of UTA Flight 772 in 1989, the bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983 and 1984, and the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1998, among others.