John, in all of my 23 years at ADL, today may be the most consequential. Today, as co-counsel on behalf of more than 125 plaintiffs, we filed a U.S. federal lawsuit against Iran, Syria and North Korea to hold them responsible for their role in the largest antisemitic attack since the Holocaust.

Each of the plaintiffs is a U.S. citizen or the family member of a U.S. citizen; they include individuals who were physically or emotionally injured in the 10/7 attack, the estates of individuals who were killed and immediate family members of individuals who were killed or injured in the attack. ADL and the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP are co-counsel in this important case and are seeking justice for the plaintiffs, including Nahar Neta.

As Nahar explains, “My mom, Adrienne Neta, was born and raised in California. Her father was an Air Force engineer. In the early 80s, she made aliyah and married my dad, and together, they built a family in Kibbutz Be’eri. She was a peace and justice seeker who was active in many civilian efforts to bridge the gap between Jews and Arabs in Israel.” On 10/7, Adrienne and over 1,200 others were murdered by Hamas. Nahar vows that “it’s important for us to be able to tell our stories so the world can hear how Hamas has terrorized Israel, the Jewish people, and many American citizens.”

We hope this groundbreaking case will bring justice on behalf of the victims and create a record of Hamas’ heinous brutality and of the material support that they received from these state sponsors of terrorism.

The complaint argues that the plaintiffs should receive compensation for their permanent damage. Since foreign countries that sponsor terrorist activities typically refuse to honor judgments against them, the victims will then need the support of the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund — a fund Congress created using sanctions’ penalties to allow American victims of terrorism such as those in this case to obtain some meaningful relief.

This legal action is vital — especially holding Iran accountable. Iran exports terrorism, and their ideology is laced with antisemitism, anti-Zionism and hate. ADL will do everything we can to support the devastated plaintiffs and to directly establish the responsibility of Iran, Syria and North Korea for the Hamas attack.

I invite you to sign up now for a special ADL Fighting Hate from Home webinar on July 8 at 12pm ET to learn more about this landmark lawsuit. You’ll hear from those involved in the case about why this is so important to all of the victims of 10/7 and their loved ones, and our legal team will explain the challenges and goals of this lawsuit.

Thank you for all you do as part of the ADL community to fight antisemitism and to demand justice.

Sincerely,
Steve Sheinberg
Chief Legal Officer
ADL