Israel Lobbies U.S. Congress for Amendment to Anti-Terrorism Clarification Law

The new legislation known as the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act, which was recently signed into law, is the target of a campaign to amend it even before it takes effect. More surprising is that Israel is among those lobbying to change a law that allows assets of any entity on the terror list to be seized if it accepts any funding from the United States government and goes further, allowing successful plaintiffs suing the Palestinian Authority for terrorism-related acts can have use American aid to settle the debt. Israeli officials agree that the Palestinians might decide to pass on some $61 million earmarked for Palestinian security forces, effectively leaving the Palestinian police broke. Most of the remainder of American aid to the Palestinian Authority was cancelled by President Trump some months ago, but the security money looms large as the situation in the West Bank continues to deteriorate. The Israeli involvement is consistent with previous action to shore up the Palestinians — or at least prevent economic collapse if the PA – including supporting the PA’s defense of terror-related lawsuits in which hundred-million judgements were at stake, much to the chagrin of the Israeli public and its supporters.