Israeli-Russian businessman Roman Abramovich and the ZAKA organization filed a lawsuit against Mizrahi Tefahot Bank on Wednesday, due to the bank's refusal to transfer a donation of eight million shekels to the ZAKA organization - a voluntary community emergency response team. The organization's funding is meant for pay for their work during the war and for what's to come.
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The bank's refusal, according to an explanation letter, is due to Abramovich's account being blocked as a result of the sanctions imposed on him by the European Union and the British government. Therefore, according to the bank's statement, no operation of any kind can be performed in his account. Abramovich, on the other hand, demands that Mizrahi Tefahot Bank be obligated to transfer the donation immediately.
The lawsuit states that the Israeli government does not impose sanctions against businessmen following the war in Ukraine and the U.S government also chose not to impose any sanctions on Mr. Abramovich. In view of the above, the bank's decision to blocking the donation from Abramovich's account as a result of the sanctions was fundamentally wrong and lacked any legal basis. The lawsuit also states that Abramovich, an Israeli citizen, opened the bank account years ago and the money he wanted to donate to ZAKA was then deposited into his account.
"since October 7, ZAKA volunteers have been working tirelessly on a noble national mission. The dedicated volunteers left their home, their workplace and their natural environment, in order to work at the sites of the horrors along the Gaza border and throughout the southern region and perform the most difficult task of locating and collecting the bodies of the victims, many of whom were in horrific physical conditions," the lawsuit reads.
"In addition, the organization's resources and its equipment have been completely depleted. The organization is also required to run a mental health care program for its volunteers who have been exposed to difficult, horrific and inhumane scenes and experiences, that were far worse than what ZAKA volunteers experience on a regular basis. ZAKA is a leading emergency rescue organization in Israel that also operates in disaster areas around the world. ZAKA volunteers include Jews, Christians, Druze, Bedouins and other Muslims. ZAKA provides assistance to all people, regardless of religion, race or gender. The lawsuit is based on the opinions of experts in the fields of sanctions and judicial precedents in Israel."
"It is unthinkable that at the most difficult time, when everyone is coming together and fighting, whether on the frontlines or the home-front, the Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank is blocking such a vital contribution to one of the most important enterprises in our community," Abramovich's lawyers Shmuel Cassouto and Bella Peled said in their filing.
"We will not be able to comment on specific clients, due to the bank's confidentiality. If a lawsuit is filed, we will give our position in court," the bank said in response.