Bat Yam Mayor Leads Covert Operation in New York to Serve Iran Lawsuit

Bat Yam Mayor Zvika Brot orchestrated a covert operation in New York City to serve a NIS 250 million lawsuit against Iran for missile attacks that devastated parts of his city. The operation, which took two months of preparation, involved surveillance teams in Manhattan and a chase after an Iranian diplomat. The lawsuit aims to recover compensation from Iranian assets held in Israel.

The operation, codenamed "Open Account," took place on a Monday near the UN headquarters. Brot and his team, coordinating with Israeli government and US officials, gathered intelligence and created profiles of senior Iranian diplomats. They tracked a diplomat leaving a building en route to the UN, pursued him through Manhattan streets, and read him the contents of the lawsuit when he stopped at a traffic light, even though he refused to accept the document directly.

The lawsuit stems from an Iranian missile attack during Operation "With All Your Might" that damaged 160 buildings in Bat Yam, destroyed 22, killed nine residents, injured 178, and left thousands homeless. The NIS 250 million claim covers the city's expenses from the attack, excluding personal injury and property damage covered by the state, and is based on the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

Shurat HaDin, the legal organization that prepared the lawsuit, believes the service is valid and gives Iran 60 days to respond. If Iran fails to respond, the city can seek a default judgment. However, collecting the funds will require further legal proceedings.

Bat Yam is exploring options to claim funds related to the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline project, for which Israel owes Iran approximately $1.1 billion from an international arbitration. Mayor Brot stated the decision to sue was made the night of the attack, emphasizing that any recovered funds would be used for the city's reconstruction and to aid its residents. He expects cooperation from the Israeli government to facilitate the recovery.