“The smell of fresh pizza and sounds of families chatting filled Jerusalem’s Sbarro restaurant on August 9, 2001until 2:00 PM, when a suicide bomber walked in carrying a guitar case packed with explosives. The blast collapsed the two-story building and claimed 16 lives, including seven children and a pregnant woman. Another 130 were injured in what became one of the Second Intifada’s most notorious attacks.

More than two decades later, Jerusalem’s District Court delivered a landmark ruling on Tuesday that forces the Palestinian Authority to finally pay for its role in the massacre. Building on a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that established PA liability for terror attacks, the funds will be seized directly from tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians.

At the heart of the case stands attorney Meir Schijveschuurder, who lost his parents and three siblings in the bombing. Now representing 80 terror victims, he has transformed personal tragedy into legal precedent.

“The State of Israel, through the court, will bring violent terror to a halt because the Palestinians will not be able to afford it economically,” Schijveschuurder tells Channel 12 News.

Each victim’s family will receive $2.7 million in baseline compensation. On top of that, the judge ordered the Palestinian Authority to pay an additional $5.4 million per victim to cover traditional damages, including emotional trauma, lost years of life, and the wages the victims would have earned had they lived. The ruling also requires the PA to cover legal fees and court costs.”