US jury set to hear lawsuit accusing Middle Eastern bank of aiding terrorists

NEW YORK – A U.S. jury is being asked to decide whether a large Middle Eastern bank should be held liable in terror attacks that killed Americans.

Opening statements are set for Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn in the case against Arab Bank.

The trial stems from a lawsuit filed by victims of terror attacks in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank during a Palestinian uprising from 2001 to 2004. They have accused the bank of setting up accounts that it knew were being used to funnel death benefits to families of suicide bombers.

Lawyers for the bank have denied that it was aware it was doing business with terrorists when it processed electronic transfers.