Pleading financial hardship, Palestinian representatives in Washington are asking a judge not to make them pay damages to the victims of one of their “martyrdom operations:” Palestinian groups seek relief from court order in terrorism case. (Hat tip: Ethel.)

WASHINGTON —The Palestinian Authority is asking a federal judge to reconsider an order to pay nearly $200,000 to the estate of a couple killed in Israel in a terrorist attack, saying the PLO Mission here will have to close if the money is turned over.

The dispute is part of a long-running lawsuit filed by relatives of Yaron and Efrat Ungar, who died in a June 1996 attack that their lawyer says was carried out by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

And the case shows no sign of ending. Earlier this week, a lawyer for the Ungar family signaled that he wants to seize $70 million that several Middle Eastern countries have contributed to help keep the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority financially afloat. As a result, the Ungar family’s efforts to collect damages is playing into a larger international response to Hamas’ takeover of the Palestinian Authority earlier this year. …

Nabil Abuznaid, deputy chief of the PLO Mission, said Wednesday that lawsuits against the Palestinian groups are becoming more common and causing significant financial strain.

Abuznaid said the $200,000 at issue covers day-to-day operations of the office, including workers’ salaries. “We cannot survive these conditions,” he said. “There is no money. I don’t know what we should do.”

The PLO Mission in Washington DC can’t pay worker’s salaries. Right.

Boo freakin’ hoo.

But back home in Gaza, somehow they seem to find plenty of money when they need automatic weapons and ammunition:

UPDATE at 5/18/06 8:25:00 pm:

The Hedgehog Blog also notices the Big Lie: Millions for Kalashnikovs, Not a Penny for Economic Development.