Representing a group of victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, global law firm Greenberg Traurig,
LLP, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, the Schoen Law Firm, and
the Holtzman Vogel law firm have filed a lawsuit in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, Alexandria Division, against AJP
Educational Foundation Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine
(AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP).
NEW
YORK, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Representing a group of victims of the Oct.
7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, global law firm Greenberg Traurig,
LLP, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, the Schoen Law Firm, and
the Holtzman Vogel law firm have filed a lawsuit in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, Alexandria Division, against AJP
Educational Foundation Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine
(AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP).
The lawsuit, which seeks compensatory damages for nine American
and Israeli victims of the attack in which Hamas killed 1,200
people and took 240 people hostage, alleges that AMP
and NSJP work in the United States
as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas. Hamas is a
United States designated Foreign
Terrorist Organization. The suit also notes that AMP and NSJP are
merely the current version of several prior entities that were
already determined by the U.S. government to be supporters of
Hamas.
"I couldn't be prouder of our firm for taking on this important
representation. It is an honor to lend our voice and resources to
this fight in support of plaintiffs who have suffered greatly at
the hands of terrorists," said Richard A.
Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig. "We have
assembled a formidable team who will make certain that the strong
evidence showing the defendants have violated the rule of law is
presented in an American courtroom. Our team will work tirelessly
to hold these organizations accountable for their actions carried
out in concert with terrorists."
The suit alleges AMP and NSJP responded on
Oct. 8, 2023, the day after the
horrific atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, by participating in the
terrorist's propaganda to justify its appalling brutalities. AMP
and NSJP answered Hamas's "call for mass mobilization" by
disseminating a manifesto and plan of attack. This manifesto
confirms that "AMP and NSJP are not merely organizing to assist
Hamas's ongoing terror campaign abroad—they are intentionally
extending their aid to fomenting chaos, violence, and terror in
the United States." In this
manner, the groups acted to support and further the goals and
directives of Hamas.
Further, the lawsuit states that "Plaintiffs—survivors of
Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack,
family members of those murdered by Hamas, civilians still under
fire from Hamas's ongoing terrorism, and persons displaced by
Hamas's ongoing terrorism—have been, and continue to be, injured
because AMP and NSJP knowingly provide continuous, systematic, and
substantial assistance to Hamas and its affiliates' acts of
international terrorism. AMP and NSJP are thus liable to Plaintiffs
for the damages they incurred because AMP and NSJP aid and abet
Hamas's terrorism."
"Since Oct. 7, our country has
witnessed a shocking rise in anti-Semitism, verbal and physical
threats against Jews on our campuses and in our streets, vandalism,
blockades, economic disruption, illegal encampments, and hostile
takeovers of academic buildings—largely and concertedly directed by
Hamas and its collaborators, American Muslims for Palestine and
National Students for Justice in Palestine. Until now, they have
seemingly operated in a world without consequence. With this
lawsuit, we will hold Hamas's collaborators accountable for their
actions and show them and those in sympathy with them that no one
is above, or beyond, the rule of law. As the son of one of the
youngest survivors of Auschwitz, I am proud to be part of the team
seeking vindication for our clients. We look forward to presenting
the evidence to the judge and jury," said Scott J. Bornstein, Senior Vice President of
Greenberg Traurig.
Richard A. Edlin, Vice Chair of
Greenberg Traurig, notes: "It is deeply ironic that the same people
carrying signs saying 'Death to America' and 'Death to Jews' claim
they are protected by free speech. They are not. Free speech has
never included the active support of terrorism, and it has never
protected the destruction of private property or the brutalization
of innocent men, women, and children of many faiths, not just Jews.
In the defendants, we confront an American problem, as well as a
Jewish problem. We cannot—and through this lawsuit, we are saying
we will not—allow the infiltration of Hamas-directed hatred,
violence, and intimidation anywhere we can prevent it. If the
defendants believe they can set up operations in America to create
a mass culture of fear, threats, violence, and intimidation to
undermine our cherished educational institutions, affect our
governmental policies, and force Hamas's evil ideology on American
or Israeli soil, they are about to find out how mistaken they
are."
"As a lawyer with a long history of fighting antisemitism, I am
proud to sign my name to this important lawsuit," said Brad Kaufman, Co-President of Greenberg
Traurig.
According to Mark Goldfeder, the
CEO and director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, "This case
is very simple: When someone tells you they are aiding and abetting
terrorists—believe them."
Jason Torchinsky, a partner at
Holtzman Vogel who also represents the victims, emphasized that
"[t]he chaos we are seeing at American colleges and universities
has been well planned and organized, and National SJP's work to
support the end goals of Hamas needs to be exposed and stopped. We
hope this lawsuit sees justice for our clients."
The group of American and Israeli victims have experienced a
wide spectrum of physical and emotional injuries.
"It is time that Hamas and all of its agents, like AMP and NSJP,
be held responsible for their horrific actions," the victims said
in a joint statement. "We want to go on record to expose these
groups for the terrorists they are and make certain that they are
stopped from operating in the United
States and other countries they infiltrate."
Professor Anat Alon-Beck's
decision to join the lawsuit was motivated by personal experiences
of harassment as an Israeli American corporate law professor. She
wants to prevent this from happening to others on campuses. She is
concerned about the alarming rise in antisemitism, demonization,
delegitimization and dehumanization of Israel and the
United States.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than
2750 attorneys in 47 locations in the
United States, Europe and
the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI "Highly
Recommended Law Firm" for superior client service and is
consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ
500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified Plus by The
Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices
with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource
Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA's
Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its
philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web:
http://www.gtlaw.com.
About the National Jewish Advocacy Center: The National Jewish
Advocacy Center, Inc. is a nonprofit organization committed to our
mission to advocate for the Jewish nation and the Jewish state as
prisms through which people from all walks of life can learn about
the dignity of difference, the power of coexistence, and the
strength that comes from tolerance. NJAC is a thought leader in the
field of combatting antisemitism with a demonstrated ability to
innovate creative legal solutions and substantively support them.
Web: https://jewishadvocacycenter.org/.
About Schoen Law Firm: David
Schoen is a solo practitioner focusing on civil rights
litigation and criminal defense work and has for many years
represented victims of terrorism. David is the recipient of the
American Bar Association's national Pro Bono Publico award and the
U.S. District Judge David Nelson
public interest award for his civil rights work. Web:
https://schoenlawfirm.com/.
About Holtzman Vogel: Holtzman Vogel specializes in navigating
sensitive, high-stakes regulatory and litigation matters for the
country's most prominent individuals, corporations, and advocacy
organizations. The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices strategically
located in Virginia, Florida, and Arizona. The firm and its lawyers are
continuously ranked by the nation's most trusted legal guides
including Chambers USA, Best
Lawyers and Best Law Firms, Super Lawyers, POLITICO, Washingtonian,
among others. For more information, visit
http://www.holtzmanvogel.com.
Media Contact
Joey
Kaiser, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 212-801-6983,
joey.kaiser@gtlaw.com, https://www.gtlaw.com/en
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SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP