Press Releases
BUSH ADMINISTRATION URGED TO SUPPORT COURT CASE AGAINST PALESTINIAN TERRORISTS
Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn) urged the Bush Administration to throw its support behind a civil suit seeking damages from the Palestinian Authority in connection with the death of an American citizen. Esh Gilmore was shot to death by Palestinian terrorists in 2000.
On October 30, 2000, Esh Gilmore was shot and killed during a terrorist attack in Jerusalem, Israel. Thereafter, his family filed a civil suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia under the Antiterrorist Act (ATA), seeking damages. The suit names the Palestinian Authority as a defendant.
Last week, the presiding judge in the case, U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler, ordered Attorney General John Ashcroft to inform the court whether the United States wished to be heard during the proceedings. To date, Ashcroft has not responded.
Today, Rep. Weiner urged the Attorney General to weigh in on behalf of the Gilmores. “All Americans of every faith share the same powerful interest in fighting terrorism by every means available,” wrote Weiner to Ashcroft. “Congress passed the civil provisions of the ATA in order to empower victims of terrorism to seek justice and redress. The Gilmores deserve nothing less than the full legal backing of the United States government and the Bush administration.”
Congressman Anthony D. Weiner
