54 No. 74 JUSTICE n a world increasingly afflicted by heinous acts of terror, antisemitic assaults, murders and acts, and the demonization of Israel in international forums, lawyers and policy advocates are uniquely positioned to lead a movement that is principled, strategic, and unyielding. The challenge before us is not only legal − it is moral, political, and existential. This call to action was at the heart of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) Legal Affairs Forum at the JNS International Policy Summit convened in Jerusalem in April 2025. The Summit featured multiple forums focusing on a number of pressing issues needing attention and spearheading. The Legal Affairs Forum brought together a distinguished group of attorneys, legal scholars, activists, policy thinkers and diplomats to chart a path forward through the use of both the law and advocacy focusing on the strategic use of legal mechanisms to proactively counter and defend the rights of the Jewish People, the State of Israel, and those committed to seeking justice for victims of terrorism, attacks and unspeakable acts, further confronting the misuse of legal systems against the State of Israel. The JNS Legal Affairs Forum, chaired by Richard D. Heideman, an author of this article, did not simply review theoretical principles; it produced an operational vision grounded in practice, precedent, and urgency. Legal practitioners from the U.S., Israel, and Europe shared case studies, policy proposals, and institutional recommendations that, if implemented, could significantly shift the legal landscape in favor of accountability, affirmative action, deterrence, and justice. Justice Beyond Judgments: The Power of Enforcement One of the key themes underscored at the Forum was the distinction between legal victory and legal impact. As noted in multiple presentations, securing a court judgment against state sponsors of terrorism − such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, long recognized and unfortunately tolerated by too many as the worst sponsor of terror in the world − or financial conduits for terror activity, such as banks and cryptocurrency platforms, is only the beginning. True deterrence lies in aggressive enforcement. Civil litigation resulting in multibillion-dollar judgments has already created precedents and given aggrieved victims recourse to courts and victims funds, but the greater challenge lies in implementing those rulings across jurisdictions. For example, active cases against platforms like Binance − convicted of wrongdoings and rightly accused of laundering funds for Hamas − demonstrate the need for cross-border cooperation and asset seizure mechanisms. Legal professionals must not only be litigators but also strategists who understand enforcement as the decisive phase of legal warfare. Pay-for-Slay and Political Complicity Another actionable focus of the Forum was the Palestinian Authority's (PA) “Pay-for-Slay” program, which provides financial incentives and rewards to families of perpetrators, being those convicted of terror offenses. Despite existing Israeli and U.S. legislation designed to penalize this practice, enforcement has lagged. People seem to turn a blind eye to the wrongful conduct of the PA, which enjoys a certain immunity-type status with impunity. A recommendation put forth included the systematic confiscation of ATM-distributed terror stipends in Palestinian areas − an initiative that could disrupt the ecosystem of incentivized violence. Extradition and Accountability Participants also highlighted the disturbing failure of Jordan in honoring its treaty obligations in the case of Ahlam Tamimi, the unrepentant mastermind of the 2001 Sbarro Pizzeria bombing in Jerusalem which took the lives of numerous innocent Americans, including Malki Roth. Despite an unsealed indictment and a monetary reward, an active U.S. extradition request and a binding Seeking Justice: Strategic Legal Action and Advocacy in Response to Antisemitism, Terrorism, and the Demonization of Israel Richard D. Heideman and Joseph H. Tipograph I
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