(JTA) — The family of a Florida teenager killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing in Tel Aviv won a $323 million judgment in a U.S. court against Iran and Syria.
Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., ruled Monday that Iran and Syria were responsible for the attack by an Islamic Jihad terrorist that killed Daniel Wultz, 16, and 10 others in a bombing at a restaurant in April 2006. Islamic Jihad, which is based in Damascus, took responsibility for the attack.
Daniel’s father, Yekutiel, was seriously injured in the attack.
"We don’t look for any revenge,” he told the Miami Herald on Tuesday. “Our purpose in our fight is to fight terrorism. We don’t want any more Daniels to die.”
Daniel Wultz died 27 days after the attack; the judgment was announced six years to the day of his death.
The lawsuit was brought on behalf of the family by the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center under a special provision in U.S. federal law that allows U.S. citizens to bring claims against foreign governments for terrorist acts. It marked the first time that the group has won a judgment against Syria, center director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner told The Associated Press.
It It will be very difficult to collect on the judgment, however. Iran and Syria, whose assets have been frozen in the United States due to their state sponsorship of terror, have been subject to other large judgments in U.S. courts in recent years, the Herald reported.
The Wultz family established a nonprofit foundation, the Daniel Cantor Wultz Foundation, to combat terror and promote tolerance and acceptance.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.