Justice Sotomayor Refuses to Halt $656 Million PLO Judgment

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor refused a request on Monday to halt a $656 million judgment against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. The ruling allows for the collection of damages awarded to American victims and families of attacks in Jerusalem during the early 2000s, which killed 33 people and wounded hundreds.

The legal process follows a 2025 Supreme Court revival of the cases and a subsequent March decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to reinstate the verdict. The lawsuit was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In court documents, the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority argued that the immediate payment of the judgment could destabilize essential government services in the West Bank. Despite these claims, the request for a pause in payment was denied.