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Al Arabiya
09-04-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US families accuse Palestinian-American billionaire of facilitating Hamas attacks
American families of victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel filed a lawsuit on Monday against a prominent Palestinian-American businessman, Bashar Masri, charging that he provided assistance in constructing infrastructure that allowed Hamas militants to carry out their cross-border rampage. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for Washington, D.C., is thought to be the first case of a US citizen being accused of providing major support for the attacks that triggered a wider Middle East conflict and upended the region. Masri's office called the lawsuit 'baseless.' According to a statement announcing the lawsuit, properties Masri owned, developed and controlled, including two luxury hotels and the leading industrial zone in Gaza - the Gaza Industrial Estate - 'concealed tunnels underneath them, and had tunnel entrances accessible from within the properties, which Hamas used in terrorist operations before, on and after October 7th.' 'Defendants facilitated the construction and concealment of those tunnels and even built above-ground solar panel installations that they then used to supply Hamas with electricity to the tunnels,' it said. The October 7 attacks killed some 1,200 Israelis, including more than 40 Americans, and prompted Israeli retaliation against Gaza that has since killed more than 50,000 Palestinians. The lawsuit, which targets Masri and his companies, was filed on behalf of nearly 200 American plaintiffs, including survivors and relatives of victims. 'Our goal is to expose those who have aided and abetted Hamas and to try and bring accountability to individuals and companies that have presented a legitimate and moderate image to the Western world but have actively and knowingly helped Hamas,' Lee Wolosky of the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP law firm, lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in the statement. It said GIE was originally established with the help of US taxpayer funding via the US Agency for International Development to promote economic growth in the region. It said of that 'as a result of defendants' deception,' Hamas' tunnel network was built with the help of infrastructure and energy projects financed by international institutions, including the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. Masri's office called the allegations against him and his businesses false and said he would seek their dismissal in court. It said Masri had been involved in development and humanitarian work for the past decades and 'unequivocally opposes violence of any kind.' 'Neither he nor those entities have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy,' it said in a statement. Doing any big projects in Gaza prior to the war would have required tacit approval by, and some level of cooperation with, the Hamas authorities. The group built its extensive tunnel network across practically the entire territory, including under private homes and businesses. A March 10 article in the Jerusalem Post cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Masri had served as a close adviser to Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's envoy seeking release of hostages held in Gaza, and had flown on Boehler's private jet as he shuttled across the region. It called Masri 'a seasoned entrepreneur' who 'shares a business-minded approach with Trump, making him a natural fit in the administration's economic vision for the region.'
Arab News
08-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
US families accuse Palestinian-American billionaire of facilitating Hamas attacks
WASHINGTON: American families of victims of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel filed a lawsuit on Monday against a prominent Palestinian-American businessman, Bashar Masri, charging that he provided assistance in constructing infrastructure that allowed Hamas militants to carry out their cross-border rampage. The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for Washington, D.C., is thought to be the first case of a US citizen being accused of providing major support for the attacks that triggered a wider Middle East conflict and upended the region. Masri's office called the lawsuit 'baseless.' According to a statement announcing the lawsuit, properties Masri owned, developed and controlled, including two luxury hotels and the leading industrial zone in Gaza – the Gaza Industrial Estate — 'concealed tunnels underneath them, and had tunnel entrances accessible from within the properties, which Hamas used in terrorist operations before, on and after October 7th.' 'Defendants facilitated the construction and concealment of those tunnels and even built above-ground solar panel installations that they then used to supply Hamas with electricity to the tunnels,' it said. The October 7 attacks killed some 1,200 Israelis, including more than 40 Americans, and prompted Israeli retaliation against Gaza that has since killed more than 50,000 Palestinians. The lawsuit, which targets Masri and his companies, was filed on behalf of nearly 200 American plaintiffs, including survivors and relatives of victims. 'Our goal is to expose those who have aided and abetted Hamas and to try and bring accountability to individuals and companies that have presented a legitimate and moderate image to the Western world but have actively and knowingly helped Hamas,' Lee Wolosky of the Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP law firm, lead attorney representing the plaintiffs, said in the statement. It said GIE was originally established with the help of US taxpayer funding via the US Agency for International Development to promote economic growth in the region. It said of that 'as a result of defendants' deception,' Hamas' tunnel network was built with the help of infrastructure and energy projects financed by international institutions, including the World Bank's International Finance Corporation. Masri's office called the allegations against him and his businesses false and said he would seek their dismissal in court. It said Masri had been involved in development and humanitarian work for the past decades and 'unequivocally opposes violence of any kind.' 'Neither he nor those entities have ever engaged in unlawful activity or provided support for violence and militancy,' it said in a statement. Doing any big projects in Gaza prior to the war would have required tacit approval by, and some level of cooperation with, the Hamas authorities. The group built its extensive tunnel network across practically the entire territory, including under private homes and businesses. A March 10 article in the Jerusalem Post cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that Masri had served as a close adviser to Adam Boehler, US President Donald Trump's envoy seeking release of hostages held in Gaza, and had flown on Boehler's private jet as he shuttled across the region. It called Masri 'a seasoned entrepreneur' who 'shares a business-minded approach with Trump, making him a natural fit in the administration's economic vision for the region.' The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment when asked about the newspaper report. In a Reuters interview in October 2020, when he was 59, Masri spoke in favor of Gulf Arab ties with Israel, condemned by Palestinian leaders, saying they could be an opportunity to apply fresh pressure to halt Jewish settlement in occupied land. When speaking to Reuters in 2020, Masri said Palestinians must not give up hope. 'Our enemies want us to give up hope. If we give up hope, they have exactly what they want, and there will be no Palestine, and no Palestinian people,' he said.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doug Emhoff publicly criticizes his law firm for coming to agreement with Trump administration
Speaking at a charity gala dinner Thursday night in Los Angeles, former second gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned the decision by his law firm to preemptively come to an arrangement with the Trump administration to avoid an executive order targeting the firm, sources tell CNN. Emhoff is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which this week agreed to a deal with President Donald Trump, which the president said includes the firm providing at least $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his second term. It's the third example of a high-profile firm cutting a deal with the White House as Trump has targeted firms that have done work with his perceived political enemies. Emhoff told the crowd at the Annual Dinner Gala for the legal aid group Bet Tzedek he had told the firm he wanted to fight the threat of an executive order he found unconstitutional but had been overruled, the sources said. On Tuesday, Trump announced on Truth Social he had come to an agreement with the firm. The agreement, Trump stated, also means the firm 'will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences' and 'will not deny representation to clients … because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.' The chair of the firm, Thomas M. Cerabino, said that the agreement was 'consistent with our Firm's views on access to Legal representation by clients, including pro bono clients, our commitment to complying with the Law as it relates to our employment practices, and our history of working with clients across a wide spectrum of political viewpoints.' He added that Willkie 'looks forward to having a constructive relationship with the Trump Administration.' Willkie's pro bono work in recent years has been especially attention-grabbing because it included a defamation win against Rudy Giuliani following his work for Trump after the 2020 election. Willkie had provided representation to two Georgia poll workers who a jury ruled had been defamed by Rudy Giuliani, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, awarded a $148 million defamation verdict. CORRECTION: The date of the event where Doug Emhoff spoke has been updated. It was Thursday night.
CNN
05-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Doug Emhoff criticizes his law firm for coming to agreement with Trump administraiton
Speaking at a charity gala dinner Friday night in Los Angeles, former second gentleman Doug Emhoff condemned the decision by his law firm to preemptively come to an arrangement with the Trump administration to avoid an executive order targeting the firm, sources tell CNN. Emhoff is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, which this week agreed to a deal with President Donald Trump, which the president said includes the firm providing at least $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his second term. It's the third example of a high-profile firm cutting a deal with the White House as Trump has targeted firms that have done work with his perceived political enemies. Emhoff told the crowd at the Annual Dinner Gala for the legal aid group Bet Tzedek he had told the firm he wanted to fight the threat of an executive order he found unconstitutional but had been overruled, the sources said. On Tuesday, Trump announced on Truth Social he had come to an agreement with the firm. The agreement, Trump stated, also means the firm 'will not engage in illegal DEI discrimination and preferences' and 'will not deny representation to clients … because of the personal political views of individual lawyers.' The chair of the firm, Thomas M. Cerabino, said that the agreement was 'consistent with our Firm's views on access to Legal representation by clients, including pro bono clients, our commitment to complying with the Law as it relates to our employment practices, and our history of working with clients across a wide spectrum of political viewpoints.' He added that Willkie 'looks forward to having a constructive relationship with the Trump Administration.' Willkie's pro bono work in recent years has been especially attention-grabbing because it included a defamation win against Rudy Giuliani following his work for Trump after the 2020 election. Willkie had provided representation to two Georgia poll workers who a jury ruled had been defamed by Rudy Giuliani, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, awarded a $148 million defamation verdict. CNN's Kit Maher, Katelyn Polantz and Jeff Zeleny contributed to this reporting.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kamala Harris calls out organizations for 'capitulating' to Trump days after Doug Emhoff's law firm cut a deal with the White House
Former Vice President Kamala Harris issued a stern rebuke of President Donald Trump. Harris also called out organizations that are cutting deals with the president. She did not name Big Law directly, but it isn't hard to read between the lines. Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a veiled rebuke at Big Law firms that have cut deals with President Donald Trump. "We're seeing people stay quiet," Harris said during a speech before the Leading Women Defined Summit. "We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly to unconstitutional threats." Harris did not call out law firms specifically in denouncing a "sense of fear" that has taken hold. Her comments are sure to raise eyebrows given former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff's ties to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, among the handful of major firms that have cut deals with the White House. On Tuesday, Willkie became the third major law firm to broker an agreement with the Trump administration lest it face a crippling executive order like Perkins Coie is challenging in federal court. The Los Angeles Times and CNN reported that Emhoff told Willkie leadership that he disagreed with the deal. Emhoff did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. He retweeted a separate portion of Harris' remarks, where she said, "Courage is contagious." Trump has defended his actions, saying that the firms "are not babies" and went after him "ruthlessly, violently, and illegally." "Those law firms did bad things," he told reporters last month. Trump's claims distort the law firms' actions. His executive order targeting Paul Weiss focused on the firm's rehiring of former federal prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who left the firm to aid the Manhattan District Attorney's probe into Trump's finances. Trump's memo asking the federal government to reconsider its contracts with Covington & Burling LLP mentioned how the firm had agreed to represent former special counsel Jack Smith, who had led prosecutions into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling of classified documents. (Smith later dropped both cases before leaving the Justice Department after Trump's election.) Former President Barack Obama went even further than Harris. During a separate appearance, he said he was "troubled" by the idea the White House could single out individual firms. "Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated, that you will not be allowed into government buildings," Obama said during an appearance at Hamilton College in New York. Obama said that institutions should consider standing up, no matter the cost. "If you're a law firm being threatened, you might have to say, okay, we will lose some business because we're going to stand for a principle," he said. "If you are a university, you may have to figure out, are we in fact doing things right?" Read the original article on Business Insider
