Bat Yam Mayor Serves Iran Lawsuit Papers in Secret Manhattan Operation
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Bat Yam Mayor Zvika Brot personally served Iran with a NIS 250 million lawsuit in Manhattan, seeking damages for a past missile attack. The operation, planned for four months, involved tracking an Iranian diplomat near the UN to ensure legal service. The city hopes to collect damages from a $1.1 billion debt Israel owes Iran. Iran has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Bat Yam Mayor Zvika Brot personally served Iran with a NIS 250 million lawsuit in Manhattan.
- The lawsuit seeks damages for Iran's missile attack during Operation Pillar of Defense.
- The operation involved tracking an Iranian diplomat near the UN headquarters.
- Bat Yam hopes to collect damages from a $1.1 billion debt Israel owes Iran.
- Iran has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit filed by the Israeli city.
The mayor of Bat Yam, Zvika Brot, recently traveled to Manhattan to personally serve legal documents initiating a NIS 250 million ($67 million) lawsuit against Iran. The suit, filed in Israel's District Court in Jerusalem, seeks damages for Iran's missile attack during Operation Pillar of Defense, which severely damaged Bat Yam, destroying 22 buildings, killing nine residents, and injuring 178. The lawsuit was also translated into Persian.
The operation, planned secretly over four months with Israeli and US coordination, involved Brot and his team tracking an Iranian diplomat near the UN headquarters. After the diplomat attempted to evade them, Brot approached him at a traffic light and read him the lawsuit's contents. This was crucial for the legal process, as proof of official receipt or opportunity to review the documents is required to advance the case.
The lawsuit targets Iran and the Revolutionary Guards, with the claim that this is the first time they are being sued for damages caused to other countries by terror attacks. The city is also eyeing a potential source for compensation: a debt of approximately $1.1 billion owed by Israel to Iran for Iran's share in the Eilat-Ashkelon oil pipeline. Israel has not paid this debt due to prohibitions on trading with an enemy state.
Bat Yam officials hope that if the lawsuit is successful, a portion of this debt could be transferred to the city. Iran has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit. If no defense is filed, the city can request a default judgment. However, even with a favorable ruling, further legal steps will be necessary to collect the funds. The legal handling of the case is led by the international organization Shurat Hadin, headed by attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner.