Palestinians disappointed at US court's decision

The Palestinian government on Monday expressed deep disappointment about a US court ruling holding the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) responsible for attacks in Israel during the Second Intifada.
Earlier today, a New York court found the PA and the PLO legally responsible for supporting "six terrorist attacks" that took place in Israel killing and injuring Americans, according to the New York Times.
The Federal District Court in Manhattan had originally demanded both pay USD 218.5 million in damages, before tripling the sum to USD 655.5 million since the penalties fall under the US anti-terrorism law.
The PA and the PLO will challenge the verdict, the government said in a statement, expressing confidence in "(the Palestinian) firm legal situation and the American judiciary." It termed the lawsuit as an "additional attempt by hardliners in Israel to exploit and misuse the US judiciary to justify the Israeli government extremism and impediment of the two-state solution and build more illegal settlements, as well as carrying on with holding PA's (financial) resources.' The statement considered the court ruling a "tragic response, not only to millions of Palestinians who trusted the democratic process and the rule of law to realize justice" but also to the international community that believed in the two-state solution.