poster
A British Israeli father whose wife and two daughters were murdered in a Hamas terror attack has won a legal ruling to be able to take more than £10.5 million from the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Rabbi Leo Dee, originally from London, lost his wife Leah, 48, together with daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, in April 2023, after a Palestinian terrorist brutally sprayed them with bullets in a drive-by attack.
The family were travelling through West Bank in separate vehicles, with Rabbi Dee driving just metres ahead.
Since then, he has campaigned to help other victims of terror, and opened his case to sue the PA several months ago.
Yesterday, Israeli courts granted a temporary garnishee order, meaning a set amount of the frozen funds can be taken by Dee as soon as he successfully sues the PA, and the ruling makes the case stronger.
Explaining the legal process, Rabbi Dee said: ‘Bagatz [Supreme Court of Israel] gave us the go ahead months ago to sue and secure the funds.
‘The way it works is that the Israeli treasury withholds tax funds from the Palestinian Authority.
‘So technically, the money is in the hands of Israel, but the question was whether we can withhold these funds to give to victims of terror. The court ruled we can. That was the first step.’
Rabbi Leo Dee, originally from London, lost his wife Leah, 48, together with daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, in April 2023
The British Israeli father whose wife and two daughters were murdered in a Hamas terror attack has won a landmark legal ruling
The family were travelling through West Bank in separate vehicles, with Rabbi Dee driving just metres ahead when a Palestinian terrorist brutally sprayed their car with bullets in a drive-by attack
The case is believed to be the first of its kind, and Dee is now calling for other terror victim families to follow suit, in the hope it will eventually ‘bankrupt’ terror groups.
Rabbi Dee continued: ‘I am delighted we are making progress. My desire is for other families to also be suing the Palestinian Authority.
‘My hope is we can bankrupt them. Since the UN is intent on continuing to fund them, we have to act independently to stop their funding and save lives.
‘I want other families to sue the PA, and secure funds and I want them to know that together we can bring them down.
‘We are not directly at war with the Palestinian Authority, but they have built the greatest terror scheme and incentive for terror in the world.’
Tax funds secured by the PA are used as part of it’s so-called ‘Martyr’s Fund’ – referred to by critics as ‘pay-for-slay’, a label rejected by Palestinians.
The cash pot is used to open an account for terrorists after they are convicted and jailed, and they then pour the equivalent of several hundred pounds in each month.
When a terrorist is released after serving their sentence, they then collect the money, in some cases amounting to millions of shekels accumulated during lengthy sentences.
From left, Yehuda Dee, his sister Keren, father Rabbi Leo Dee, and sister Tali, at the funeral of Maya and Rina Dee in Kfar Etzion on April 9, 2023. The two were killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting. Dee’s wife, Lucy (Leah) died of her injuries shortly after the funeral
Rabbi Leo Dee speaks at the funeral of his daughters, Maya and Rina Dee in Kfar Etzion on April 9, 2023. The two were killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting. Dee’s wife, Lucy (Leah) died of her injuries shortly after the funeral
Rabbi Leo Dee (far right) and his children at the funeral of Maya and Rina Dee in Kfar Etzion on April 9, 2023. The two were killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting. Dee’s wife, Lucy (Leah) died of her injuries shortly after the funeral
The family of Rabbi Leo Dee pay their last respects at the funeral of his daughters, Maya and Rina Dee in Kfar Etzion on April 9, 2023. The two were killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting. Dee’s wife, Lucy (Leah) died of her injuries shortly after the funeral
In February, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree vowing to end the scheme, which has not yet come into effect.
In a recent letter penned by Rabbi Dee to Yarden Bibas, who’s wife Shiri and two infant sons Kfir and Ariel were murdered a month after being taken hostage on October 7th 2023, he described his healing journey.
In the emotive piece, he wrote of using his family’s memory to do more good deeds: ‘Know that Shiri, Ariel and Kfir are in a good place…They are smiling down on you and want you to be happy…
‘But for now you, as I, must live with the knowledge that we are here to achieve something more.’
Rabbi Dee plans on using the money to continue his campaign to help prevent terror.
The two terrorists behind the Dee family murders were killed a month later during an Israeli arrest raid.
The case was enabled and spear-headed by Shurat HaDin, an Israeli NGO that aims to combat terror.
