2018 Victories: U.S. Cuts Off Funding to Anti-Israel Palestinian Authority for Rewarding Terrorists

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ACLJ.org

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December 7, 2018

3 min read

Israel

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This is the latest installment in a year-end series looking back at some of the numerous victories by the ACLJ in 2018.

The ACLJ called for Congress to end this horrific program, and finally, this year, the Trump Administration and Congress answered our call.

For years the Palestinian Authority (PA) used U.S. taxpayer dollars to subsidize their notorious “pay for slay” program used to entice and reward jihadists who murder innocent Americans and Israelis.

In fact, the terrorist-affiliate PA offered a tiered payout to those who carried out heinous attacks; the more horrific the crime, the greater the payout. The PA spent $300 million a year to fund this disgusting program. More than 30,000 terrorists and their families received payouts through “pay for slay.”

This year the Trump Administration heeded our call that the U.S. must not only stop payments to terrorists, we must hold those who support and pay for terrorism accountable.

President Trump promised to cut funding to the PA as long as they continue to reward the families of terrorists.

The Administration went a step further, cutting off even more funding by withholding a significant sum of money – roughly $200 million dollars – that had been previously earmarked to go to the PA.

The PA has consistently refused to stop these horrific payments, all the while taking our tax dollars. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas publicly declared the PA will continue rewarding murderers and terrorists, in direct defiance of the United States and Israel.

The Palestinian jihadist who stabbed American soldier Taylor Force to death while he was studying in Israel was given a hero’s funeral and his family will “receive a pension for life.”

In light of this fact, it would be foolish to believe that “pay for slay” does not incentivize desperate young would-be jihadist martyrs to commit atrocities.

Thankfully, in addition to the Administration’s actions, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act cutting off all future aid funds to the PA as long as they continue the “pay for slay” program.

We applaud the President’s bold decision and Congress’s action and are hopeful that withholding this money will impede terrorist enticement and recruitment and permanently cripple and dismantle terrorist organizations at war with Israel.

To help the ACLJ continue to have the resources we need to make these victories possible and continue these fights, please consider making a Tax-Deductible donation to the ACLJ through our year-end Matching Challenge. Your gift will be DOUBLED dollar-for-dollar through the end of the year.

You can read more in the ACLJ’s 2018 Victories series here.

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