Over 100 US Plaintiffs Sue Iran, Syria, N Korea Over Hamas Attack Support

The US-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and law firm Crowell & Moring LLP have filed a federal lawsuit against Iran, Syria, and North Korea, accusing them of providing material support to Hamas for its October 7 attack on Israel.

The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Washington, DC, represents over 100 plaintiffs, including US citizens who were killed or injured in the attack and their immediate family members.

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, described the case as an effort to hold "the world's leading state sponsor of anti-semitism and terror" and its allies accountable. ADL is an American NGO working against "defamation of Jewish people."

The lawsuit is "to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran, along with Syria and North Korea accountable for their role in the October 7 massacre," according to Greenblatt.

"Because Iran, Syria, and North Korea provided material support to Hamas that caused direct physical and emotional harm to more than 100 US citizens and their family members who joined this suit," he added.

Greenblatt emphasized the significance of the lawsuit, stating, "In a world in which Jewish pain and suffering is far too often erased, we hope this groundbreaking case will bring justice to some victims and create a record of Hamas' heinous brutality perpetrated with the support of these state sponsors of terrorism."

"There is no greater sponsor of terror in the world than the Islamic Republic of Iran. Its most consequential export, arguably, is the anti-semitism," he told IranWire.

"Since October 7, the bloodiest day experienced by the Jewish people since the Holocaust and the culmination of years and years of Hamas planning anti-Zionist talking points, ADL along with US law firm Crowell & Moring is utilizing the fact that US law offers avenues to hold state sponsors of terrorism accountable for their material support," he added.

The lawsuit invokes the Terrorism Exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which allows US citizens to sue state sponsors of terrorism in American courts.

However, as foreign countries often refuse to accept judgments against them, the plaintiffs may need to rely on the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund for compensation.

James Pasch, ADL Senior Director of National Litigation and lead counsel on the case, cited precedent for holding these nations responsible for supporting terrorist attacks against US and dual US-Israeli citizens.

Pasch also highlighted the lawsuit's role in combating October 7 denialism, stating it will "set the record straight about the horrors of what occurred on that day."

"There is more than ample precedent for this case: US courts have repeatedly held Iran, Syria, and North Korea responsible for material support of terrorist attacks that harmed US and dualUS-Israeli citizens," said Pasch.

"There is also clear evidence that these state sponsors of terrorism provided material support to Hamas terrorists that enabled the terrorists to commit the atrocities on October 7.

"In a world in which October 7 denialism took hold almost immediately after the attack, this case will set the record straight about the horrors of what occurred on that day, who was responsible for providing material support for this heinous terrorist attack, and will ultimately provide a path for justice, accountability, and redressal," he added.

The case details the experiences of victims at various locations during the October 7 attack, including the Nova Music Festival and several kibbutzim.

One plaintiff, Nahar Neta, shared the story of his mother, Adrienne Neta, a California native killed at Kibbutz Be'eri.

Neta expressed hope that the case would bring "some sense of justice" and allow victims' stories to be heard.

The complaint outlines how the defendant nations provided military, tactical, and financial support to Hamas, enabling Hamas to carry out the attack.

ADL is partnering with Crowell & Moring, a firm with extensive experience in terrorism litigation.

Aryeh Portnoy, who leads Crowell & Moring's Terrorism Litigation Team with John Murino, emphasized the importance of using legal tools to combat terrorism.

In parallel with the lawsuit, ADL and Crowell are working with congressional leaders on legislative efforts to ensure "meaningful compensation" for American victims of state-sponsored terrorism.

They support bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) in May to address deficiencies in the US Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund.

The case represents the largest of its kind, with over 100 plaintiffs, and is the first brought by a Jewish organization to hold "state sponsors of terrorism" accountable for the October 7 attack.

"We hope at ADL that this groundbreaking case, first and foremost, brings justice to some victims and creates a record of Hamas's heinous brutality that was perpetrated with the support of these state sponsors of terrorism," Greenblatt said.

While openly admitting its backing for Hamas, Iran's clerical rulers insisted the Islamic Republic was not involved in the group's October 7 attack on Israel.

They also warned Israel of an escalation if it failed to end its assault on Gaza, with authorities indicating Tehran-backed proxies across the Middle East were ready to act.

The Israeli military has been bombing Gaza since the Hamas attack on Israel killed nearly 1,200 people and saw more than 230 people kidnapped as hostages.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says nearly 38,000 people have been killed since Israel's bombing started, most of them women and children.