[JURIST] The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs [official website] has ruled that the Palestinian Authority (PA) [JURIST news archive] does not enjoy sovereign immunity and can be sued in Israeli courts for its alleged involvements in terrorism. The ministry, in a statement [text] released Sunday, said that Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni [BBC profile] made the findings and that the Foreign Ministry's legal advisor has submitted the necessary paperwork to allow 55 different cases against the Palestinian Authority to proceed. PA Foreign Minister and government spokesperson Riad Malki criticized the ruling, saying that Israeli courts did not have jurisdiction over the PA. Malki also condemned the ruling as being contrary to the peace process and negotiations.

In April 2006, an Israeli district court ruled that Israeli courts did not have legal jurisdiction over the PA [JURIST report] because it met the requirements necessary for state status. The Israeli Supreme Court later ruled that the Foreign Ministry should determine whether the PA is entitled to immunity from prosecution. The PA has been criticized for its prolonged and systematic failure to uphold and enforce the law [JURIST report] and prevent repeated attacks against Israeli targets. AP has more.