US judge dismisses lawsuit over Egypt hotel bombing

A US federal judge dismissed a lawsuit on Monday filed against the Hilton Hotel chain by victims of the 2004 bombing of the Hilton Taba Hotel in Egypt.

The plaintiffs included 157 Israeli and Russians who were either guests or relatives of those who died when a vehicle laden with explosives was driven into the hotel's lobby in the Sinai town of Taba.

They sued Hilton Hotels Corp in 2006, seeking damages after claiming the hotel's security was inadequate.

In October 2004, bombings at three sites on the east coast of the Sinai peninsula killed 34 people. The Egyptian government said the mastermind was Palestinian and the targets appeared to be Israeli tourists.

US District Judge Peter Leisure of New York ruled that the plaintiffs had no connection to the United States and much of the evidence would be found in Egypt or Israel, including testimony from Egyptian police.

The judge said Egypt or Israel would be a better forum for the claims as many victims received medical treatment in Israel and much of the evidence is in Hebrew or Arabic.

"This dispute is more appropriately adjudicated in either Egypt or Israel," he said.

The plaintiffs had argued they did not want the case to be heard in Egypt as they would not receive a fair trial as there was "pervasive and virulent anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli bias that permeates Egypt," according to court papers.

'Pain only grows stronger'

Hilton has said it preferred the case to be heard in Egypt and pointed to Israeli and American tourists who have traveled to Egypt since the bombing to refute claims of hostility. A Hilton spokesperson was not immediately available to comment.

Attorney Moshe Zingel, who is representing the victims' families, said he was surprised by the US court's decision, but added that he planned to file a similar lawsuit with a Tel Aviv court within 60 days, as the American judge decreed.

He said he will also file an appeal with the US Supreme Court.

Moti Naor, whose daughter Einat was killed in the attack, told Ynet "The (US court's) decsion is a huge disappointment to us. I hope the matter is resolved as soon as possible.

"Four years have passed and we have not forgotten. The pain only grows stronger as time goes by," he said.

Zohar Niv, who lost his wife and two sons, aged 11 and 3, in the bombing said "a lawsuit will be filed - it doesn’t matter where. The decision is disappointing, but we'll wait until we hear from our lawyer and then decide where to go from there."