Last month, the U.S. State Department agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit filed by survivors of terrorism, including Sarri Singer, who was critically injured in a 2003 suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The settlement mandates that the United States comply with the Taylor Force Act, prohibiting the allocation of American taxpayer funds to the Palestinian Authority for the next decade if it continues financing payments known as the “Martyrs Fund,” which provides stipends to individuals who have carried out attacks against Israelis and Americans or to their families.

The legislation is named after Taylor Force, an American student and Army veteran killed in a 2016 stabbing attack in Jaffa. Singer, who survived a Hamas-claimed suicide bombing nearly 23 years earlier, has been a vocal advocate for holding the Palestinian Authority accountable for this program, commonly referred to as “pay-for-slay.”

On June 11, 2003, an 18-year-old assailant disguised as a Hasidic Jew boarded a crowded 14A bus near Jerusalem’s Mahaneh Yehuda market. He detonated an explosive device close to where Singer was seated, killing 17 people and injuring more than 100 others. The attack marked a turning point in Singer’s life, dividing her experience starkly into a “before” and “after” that she describes as difficult to fully convey to those without similar trauma.

Singer has since dedicated her life to supporting other victims of terrorism through her organization, Strength to Strength, which brings together survivors, bereaved families, and first responders from various countries and backgrounds. According to her, the shared experience of coping with terror’s aftermath transcends cultural and religious differences, offering a unique space for mutual understanding and healing.

She emphasizes that surviving such trauma involves more than enduring the immediate violence; it encompasses managing long-term psychological effects, dealing with triggers that resurface unexpectedly, and contending with societal pressures to move on and symbolize resilience. Singer reflects on the challenge of maintaining a sense of normalcy while carrying invisible wounds—a process that evolves over years.

While the settlement represents a significant legal victory in curbing U.S. financial support linked to incentivizing terrorism, Singer stresses that justice and healing require ongoing efforts. She plans to participate in discussions in Jerusalem focused on the costs of terrorism and the implications of the recent settlement.

For Singer, the attack no longer defines her identity, but it remains a profound part of her experience and commitment. She asserts that meaningful survival lies in building a life marked by connection, purpose, and light despite enduring profound loss and trauma, and in holding accountable the systems that enable ongoing violence.