Israeli Bus Company to Sue Arafat over Bombings

Reuters.com ^ | 8/18/02

[GeneD]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's national bus company said Sunday it would sue Palestinian President Yasser Arafat for damages it incurred in dozens of Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings.

Palestinian Communications Minister Imad Falouji said Egged had chosen the wrong defendant and blamed Israeli policy in the occupied territories for the attacks that caused the damages.

Since the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000, more than 100 passengers on buses owned by the Egged bus cooperative have been killed and some 600 wounded in suicide attacks, roadside bombings and shootings, the company said.

Ron Ratner, Egged's vice president of marketing, said passenger volume had dropped by 10 percent annually, resulting in losses of $86 million, since the revolt began.

"At this point in time, we are asking for reparations for a large part of the damages incurred by those responsible for the attacks: the Palestinian Authority, the head of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council," Ratner told Reuters.

He said dozens of buses had also been irrevocably damaged. Replacements, which are usually financed by the government, cost up to 800,000 shekels.

Egged has yet to put a final sum on the damages suit, which Ratner said it would file in an Israeli court by the end of the month. But he estimated the figure would be in the tens of millions of dollars.

Israel has alleged that Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Authority in charge of self-rule areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, bears overall responsibility for militants' attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.

Falouji contested that, saying that "it is the policy of (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon and his occupation of Palestinian territories that carries full legal and political responsibility for the attacks."

"The Egged company is making a big mistake and has chosen the wrong side," he added.

($1=4.67 shekels)

[goldstategop]

Yasser Arafart has deep pockets. This is the way to go not granting the Palestinian nazis concessions like in the "Gaza First" plan. So the PLO is squealing. There's nothing like reparations and its high time Israel began collecting damages.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I agree. Arafart is a terrorist and he should have his assets frozen and seized. He has $1.3 billion that he absconded from his own people that he was supposed to be helping. Israel should start collecting damages.

[crystalk]

All those who have been killed and maimed by this master terrorist from Munich on should sue the bastard for all his ill-gotten funds. This makes that little stuff about Swiss banks having pre-Nazi accounts not paid out, look like pocket change and yesterday's news.

[Catspaw]

"At this point in time, we are asking for reparations for a large part of the damages incurred by those responsible for the attacks: the Palestinian Authority, the head of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council," Ratner told Reuters.

Now these are reparations I like. I hope they sue the living bejeezus out of Yasser & his cronies.

[Dialup Llama]

Maybe civil courts can wreck terrorist finances in a way governments have been unwilling to do. Why does the West give any money at all to the PLO?

[Dialup Llama]

>Now these are reparations I like. I hope they sue the living bejeezus out of Yasser & his cronies.

These are real reparations. The people who suffered the loss are recovering from those responsible.