FL Attorney General Teams Up with 21 States to Defend Victims of Hamas Terror Attacks

Photo byLevi Meir ClancyonUnsplash

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, alongside 21 other state attorneys general, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The brief urges the court to deny requests to dismiss a lawsuit brought by survivors and families of those killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack.

The lawsuit seeks to hold the AJP Educational Foundation Inc. (also known as American Muslims for Palestine) and the National Students for Justice in Palestine accountable for allegedly providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The brief contends that dismissing these claims before discovery would hinder victims' ability to secure compensation and prevent organizations like AMP and NSJP from facing accountability for their actions.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “I have been clear since the abhorrent attacks on October 7th that any group found to be providing material support for foreign terrorist organizations will be held accountable for breaking the law. I, along with my colleagues, am proud to support legal efforts to enforce the Anti-Terrorism Act.”

The Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) was designed to provide a civil cause of action for victims of international terrorism, enabling them to seek monetary damages from those providing material support to terrorist groups. With some states having limited avenues for victims to seek redress, the ATA serves as a crucial tool for plaintiffs aiming to hold accountable those responsible for acts of terror.

The lawsuit alleges that AMP has a long history of supporting Hamas, tracing back to its predecessor organizations, including the Holy Land Foundation and the Islamic Association of Palestine, whose leaders were convicted of providing millions in material support to Hamas. The brief highlights that AMP and NSJP have perpetuated the legacy of these defunct organizations through propaganda and recruitment efforts.

In response to the October 7 attack, Hamas leadership encouraged international supporters to mobilize, prompting NSJP to issue a “Day of Resistance Toolkit,” allegedly instructing members on how to bolster support for Hamas.

Attorney General Moody is joined in this effort by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The full press release and amicus can be found here.