(Quin Hillyer, Liberty Headlines) After months of discussion, the U.S. House of Representatives easily passed a bill Liberty Headlines has tracked for months, that would deny funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) unless the PA ends a program of its own that finances terrorism.
The Taylor Force Act now moves to the Senate, where support for the bill’s overall concept has long seemed strong but where certain details have proved more controversial.
The bill was named after a U.S. Army veteran (and West Point graduate) who was killed by a Palestinian terrorist while on a civilian trip to Israel in March of 2016.
As LH reported in July, the Palestinian program at issue compensates terrorists convicted by Israeli courts and provides payments for family members of terrorists killed while attacking Israelis.
The PA claims the terrorists are legitimate “combatants” – even though, by all reasonable definition, the deliberate murder of ordinary civilians is not “combat.”
The Taylor Force Act would block U.S. funding for the PA as long as that Palestinian program remains in operation.
In the end, the bill proved so popular in the House that it passed by voice vote, with no recorded objection.
“This bill is pretty simple,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan. “If you finance or reward terrorism, you don’t deserve a penny from the United States. The Palestinian Authority should be forced to choose between its despicable practice of paying terrorists’ salaries and receiving foreign aid funded by the American taxpayer. And until that time comes, no government that supports the murder of innocent civilians can claim to be a serious partner for peace…. In Taylor’s memory, I look forward to the Senate passing this legislation so we can send it to the president’s desk.”
Other senior congressmen also weighed in…..
[The full story is right here.]
