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The Palestinian Authority Continues to Reward Terrorists

(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - So far this year, 35 Israelis have been murdered by terrorists - more than in all of 2022. Underlying this increase is the Palestinian Authority's continuing refusal to fight terrorism. As long as the "pay for slay" system continues, the message to Palestinians is that terrorists should be honored and rewarded. There are clear alternatives to "pay for slay." It would be reasonable for the PA to say that the criminal's family and children should not suffer. The PA could have implemented a welfare-based system of family allowances, but they have steadfastly refused to do so. The Taylor Force Act "urges the Department of State to use its bilateral and multilateral engagements with all governments and organizations committed to the cause of peace between Israel and the Palestinians to highlight the issue of Palestinian Authority payments for acts of terrorism and to urge such governments and organizations to join the United States in calling on the Palestinian Authority to immediately cease such payments." I do not believe this is being done. The Act "calls on all donor countries providing budgetary assistance to the Palestinian Authority to cease direct budgetary support until the Palestinian Authority stops all payments incentivizing terror." Giving cash to the inefficient, ineffective, and corrupt PA encourages and fuels more corruption and allows the PA to continue its "pay for slay" system. I have no optimism that the PA will change its tune and stop rewarding terrorists in the foreseeable future. Assistance to Palestinians will have to go around the PA rather than through it. The writer, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at CFR, served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House.
2023-09-28 00:00:00
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