International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Nov. 22, 2002

An Israeli bus company is suing Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority for damages caused by terror attacks and loss of commuters during the first year of this latest Palestinian uprising.

The Egged bus cooperative filed the suit against the PA and its chairman, Yasser Arafat, on Thursday morning for 52 million shekels ($11 million). Egged chairman Arik Feldman said the company intends to sue for an additional 120 million shekels ($26 million) for damages caused during the second year.

The civil suit also calls for temporarily confiscating PA funds and money belonging to Arafat that is held by the state in Israeli banks.

Egged claims a 15 to 20 percent drop in passengers was caused by suicide bombings on its buses and says that the PA and Arafat are either directly or indirectly responsible. The suit says Arafat is directly responsible for all decisions and actions taken by the PA, including those of the Palestinian security services and Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

Since the beginning of the current conflict in September 2000, 53 terrorist attacks have been directed at Egged buses, including 20 suicide bombings, in which 113 people have been killed and 594 have been wounded. One driver has died and 19 have been wounded.

Following the suicide bombing on an Egged bus in Jerusalem Thursday, the company asked the Transportation Ministry to immediately implement a plan approved by former transportation minister Ephraim Sneh to provide an additional 500 security guards for its buses. So far, 350 security guards have been assigned to Egged, the company said.