U.S. Judge okays terror victims' lawsuit against Arab Bank

A Federal Court Judge in Brooklyn on Tuesday approved a lawsuit filed by victims of terror against the Arab Bank for alleged business links with terrorist organizations.

Judge Nina Gershon accepted the feasibility of the joint claim filed by 1,600 people living in Israel, the U.S. and other countries who were hurt in terrorist attacks orchestrated by some of the bank's clients.

In their lawsuit, complainants claimed the Arab Bank's Manhattan branch was used to channel funds to Hamas and other Palestinian militants.


Gershon rejected the bank's claim that it had done no harm by providing banking services to Hamas, citing a 1995 U.S. ruling which classified Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The Arab Bank is owned by Jordanian and Saudi interest groups. Its headquarters are in Amman, Jordan and it operates some 400 branches in 25 countries around the world.