Israel's Supreme Court doubled the compensation awarded to the Nachshon family, whose home in Jerusalem's Ma'ale HaZeitim neighborhood was attacked with firebombs last year.
Following an appeal filed with the assistance of the Honenu legal aid organization, the compensation that Adam Abbasi must pay the family was increased to NIS 63,000, up from the NIS 31,500 originally awarded.
Seven family members, including young children, were inside the home at the time of the attack. Abbasi threw firebombs at the house and was subsequently convicted in criminal proceedings.
Following his conviction, the family, represented by attorneys Chaim Bleicher and Azriel Pikar, filed a civil damages claim against Abbasi in connection with the criminal case. The District Court awarded the family NIS 31,500 in compensation.
The attorneys considered the amount insufficient and appealed to the Supreme Court. According to Honenu, during the hearing, Justice Yael Wilner repeatedly stated that the compensation awarded by the lower court was too low.
The appeal was ultimately accepted, and the compensation was doubled to NIS 63,000. In addition, the court awarded the victims attorney's fees amounting to 15% of the compensation, plus VAT.
Attorney Chaim Bleicher, head of Honenu's Terror Victims Department, welcomed the decision, saying, "Hitting terrorists in their pockets delivers justice to the victims and serves as an important tool for deterrence and restoring security to the Jewish residents of eastern Jerusalem and the entire country."
"Increasing the compensation awarded to victims is significant, but at the same time, we believe it is not enough, and we will continue to act as long as such incidents persist. The compensation demanded from terrorists will continue to increase."