Israeli terror victims sue the Bank of China for money transfers

By SHALHEVET ZOHAR
While Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, families of Israeli terror victims are suing the Bank of China in Los-Angeles, the Israel Law Center, which is representing the plaintiffs, announced Thursday. A hundred victims of terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas and Islamic Jihad have filed a civil lawsuit against the Bank of China to the Los Angeles State Court, demanding damages and compensation from the bank. The bank is accused of providing banking services to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, violating both American law and international banking regulations. The plaintiffs allege that the bank has carried out tens of money transfers since 2003 to a US account belonging to a senior Hamas official, who withdrew the money on the same day. The transfers reportedly amounted to millions of US Dollars. The plaintiffs are claiming that the bank violated its constitutional obligation to refuse suspicious banking requests, and enabled the terror groups to receive funds vital to planning, preparing and carrying out attacks against civilian targets.