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U.S. Lawmakers Put Palestinian Authority on Notice for "Pay for Slay" Terrorist Payments
(Algemeiner) Andrew Bernard - The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday discussed efforts to stop the Palestinian Authority (PA) from continuing to reward terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks against Israelis. The PA "Martyrs' Fund" makes official payments to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, the families of "martyrs" killed in attacks on Israelis, and injured Palestinian militants. The hearing also focused on the implementation of the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits U.S. funding to the PA so long as it maintains its "pay for slay" program. Middle East subcommittee chairman Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) said, "Five years ago, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, which said that no U.S. economic aid could directly benefit the Palestinian Authority unless the Palestinian Authority fully dismantled this grotesque pay-for-slay system. Unfortunately, five years later, terrorists are still getting their blood money, and Israelis are living through another wave of violent attacks.... The Palestinian Authority is paying people to commit acts of mass murder." Nearly 10% of the entire PA budget is allocated for this purpose, according to the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, an Israeli think tank.