Hamas-funding ‘alter ego’ case to proceed
(The Center Square) – A trial date is set for February in the case of a family seeking damages from a reorganized group they say funded terrorists who killed their son 30 years ago.
Attorneys say Hamas terrorists murdered 17-year-old American David Boim in 1996, while he was waiting at a bus stop in Israel.
David’s parents, Stanley and Joyce Boim, sued under the Anti-Terrorism Act and won a $156 million judgment in 2004 against Bridgeview, Illinois-based Islamic Association for Palestine for providing Hamas with material support.
Chicago lawyer Daniel Schlessinger said IAP dissolved without paying and then essentially rebooted as American Muslims for Palestine.
“So we sued AMP using a theory called alter ego, which is basically as simple as saying they’re the same organization with a different name,” Schlessinger told The Center Square.
Schlessinger said IAP was a 501(c)(3) charitable organization under Illinois law.
“So the way that the U.S. government, I guess, supported IAP was by allowing people to make donations to IAP that were tax deductible,” Schlessinger said.
According to Schlessinger, AMP does not have the same designation.
“But it has a related organization that does receive donations that are tax-free, and that’s an issue,” Schlessinger said.
American Muslims for Palestine did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.
Following a status hearing last month, a trial date is set for Feb. 8, 2027, in Chicago.
Schlessinger said David Boim’s murder was orchestrated in part by Saleh al-Arouri.
“And then all these decades later, al-Arouri was also instrumental in planning the October 7 massacre that took place in Israel,” Schlessinger said.
Schlessinger said terrorism remains a huge threat to everyone, not just to Israeli and Jewish people.
“And that’s basically why we have the Anti-Terrorism Act, because the American people understand that we cannot tolerate terrorism,” Schlessinger said.
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