(Algemeiner) Andrew Bernard - A bipartisan group of 50 members of Congress on Tuesday wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to negotiate an end to the Palestinian Authority's "pay for slay" program. The letter, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), notes that the Palestinian "Martyrs' Fund," which makes official payments to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, the families of "martyrs" killed in attacks on Israelis and to injured Palestinian militants, makes up 8% of the Palestinian Authority's total budget, costing $300 million a year. The letter says, "The Palestinian Authority has clearly continued down the path of more hatred, violence, and terror, without regard for the damage inflicted, or for their role in diminishing the prospects for peace. But, so long as they pay citizens to murder civilians, they will do so without benefiting from the support of United States taxpayers." Under the Taylor Force Act of 2018, the U.S. government is prohibited from funding the Palestinian Authority so long as it maintains the pay-for-slay payments.
2023-07-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive