Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization

On June 20, 2025, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization. The case arose from the 2018 stabbing death of Ari Fuld, a U.S.-Israeli citizen, in the West Bank by a Palestinian assailant. His family sued the PLO and Palestinian Authority under the Anti-Terrorism Act, alleging they provided material support to the attacker and incentivized terrorism. Lower courts had split over whether Congress could subject the defendants to personal jurisdiction in U.S. courts despite their foreign status. The Supreme Court's ruling resolved the jurisdictional dispute, allowing the Fuld family's lawsuit to move forward. The decision addressed the constitutionality of the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and clarified the reach of U.S. anti-terrorism laws over foreign organizations operating abroad. This outcome marked a significant development in the long-running effort by American victims of international terrorism to hold foreign sponsors accountable in federal court.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Fuld family could proceed with their claims, holding that the Palestinian Authority and PLO had sufficient contacts with the United States and that Congress lawfully extended jurisdiction over them for terrorist-related civil suits. The case was remanded for further proceedings.

Whether the PLO and Palestinian Authority are subject to personal jurisdiction in U.S. courts under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and whether the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act validly overcomes their sovereign immunity and due process objections.

The decision reinforced the ability of American victims of international terrorism to seek civil remedies against foreign organizations, sent a strong message against impunity for state-sponsored violence, and potentially strained U.S.-Palestinian relations while providing a legal template for future terrorism lawsuits.