For the first time since the October 7 massacre, Israeli victims without American citizenship are joining a massive lawsuit in the United States. The lawsuit, filed in the California Supreme Court, targets Changpeng Zhao, founder of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, alleging his company's services helped finance the terrorist assault that claimed numerous lives.
According to the plaintiffs, Zhao provided cryptocurrency services to the Hamas terror organization in violation of international sanctions, thereby enabling and assisting in financing the terror attack. In their complaint, the plaintiffs seek damages for wrongful death, injuries, physical and mental harm, loss of future income, and medical treatment funding. Additionally, they are seeking punitive damages intended to deter and prevent similar conduct in the future.
Changpeng Zhao, a Canadian, founder of Binance, sentenced to four months in US prison after pleading guilty to money laundering charge. According to investigations, Binance failed to prevent transactions by movements such as the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda or Hamas. pic.twitter.com/orWRsPQnZp— Babajide | OmoAkin (@spyda247) May 1, 2024
Attorney Dr. Gideon Fisher explains: "Unlike the two previous lawsuits we filed in the US regarding October 7, which total $1 billion, this current lawsuit is against an international business figure whose wealth is estimated at tens of billions of dollars, and the lawsuit isn't just on behalf of American victims – but also on behalf of Israelis without American connections. The new lawsuit is estimated at billions of dollars. Our firm is preparing, in collaboration with experts, to file additional lawsuits, as new plaintiffs giving us power of attorney against terror entities are joining daily, both abroad and in Israel."
Neria Goelman, a Nova festival survivor who participated in the event's security, fled to the Reim base, where terrorists attacked him. Goelman hid in bushes where he treated wounded individuals. He recounts: "Later in the day, I managed to get a weapon and defend myself. We found a tank, took equipment from it, and operated its mounted machine gun. We were only evacuated toward evening. To this day, I suffer from PTSD, don't leave my room, lash out at people close to me, and have no patience. Additionally, I suffered injuries to my lungs and ears. I think the most moral thing is to stop terrorism in every way, especially its economic engine, which drives all the murder and terror."
Attorney Ortal Reisman, legal advisor to the Civil Information Center, states: "I welcome the collaboration with the October 7 Claims Task Force and invite additional citizens recognized as terror victims to join the lawsuit filed in the US against Binance's CEO, as well as future lawsuits to be filed against Hamas and its funding bodies."
