Press Releases
TREASURY DEPARTMENT AGREES TO HALT SENDING FUNDS TO HAMAS FRONT ORGANIZATION
Washington, D.C. – Bowing to pressure from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn), the U.S. Treasury Department has stopped releasing funds to the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a front organization for Hamas. Before Weiner’s intervention, the Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had released approximately $1.5 million in frozen assets to the HLF, depleting funds being sought by victims of terrorism.
In 1996, Yaron and Efrat Ungar were shot to death by Hamas gun men a few miles from the West Bank. The family of Yaron Ungar, who held dual American/Israeli citizenship, brought suit against Hamas and it’s agents, including the HLF, in the United States, seeking $250 million in damages.
In January, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled in favor of the Ungar family, ordering Hamas to pay $116,409,123 in damages. The Ungar family immediately moved to execute the judgment against frozen HLF assets under the control of U.S. authorities.
However, since 2001, OFAC has released approximately $1.5 million in frozen HLF assets to assist HLF lawyers in covering litigation costs, thereby depleting the funds sought by the Ungar family. In 2001, OFAC controlled $6,496,845 in HLF funds, a figure that has dropped below $5.1 million today.
In late February, Rep. Weiner called on the Director of OFAC, R. Richard Newcomb, to halt all payments to the HLF immediately. OFAC has agreed to do so.
“The very last thing the United States government should be doing is helping terrorists plead their case,” said Rep. Weiner. “Every dollar we release to the HLF is another dollar freed up for Hamas to pursue its deadly aims. It is about time this outrage stopped.”
In 2001, the HLF was determined to be a “Specially Designated Terrorist” under Executive Order 12947 and a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” under Executive Order 13224 because it was acting “for or on behalf of” Hamas. Accordingly, the Treasury Department froze HLF’s assets.
Under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, frozen assets of terrorist organizations may be used to satisfy civil judgments against the organization.
Congressman Anthony D. Weiner
