‘Taylor Force Act’ Passes Legislative Hurdle

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved legislation that would cut off financial aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it ends its policy of paying monthly stipends to prisoners jailed in Israel and to the families of Palestinians killed in confrontations with Israeli security forces. The Taylor Force Act—named after an American who was murdered in a terror attack in Tel Aviv during the 2015-16 “Stabbing Intifada”—earned unanimous bipartisan support and will now proceed to Congress for a full vote; this, as a parallel bill has been introduced in the Senate. “With this legislation, we are forcing the PA to choose between U.S. assistance and these morally reprehensible policies, and I am pleased to see this measure move forward in both chambers with so much support,” committee chairman Ed Royce (R-California) wrote in a statement. Israel has long opposed the PA’s glorification of “martyrs” and believes that the payments made to terrorists provides incentive for Palestinians to perpetrate attacks. For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump on multiple occasions denounced the program, however, he has stopped short of endorsing the Act, reportedly over concern that doing so could stymie his efforts to renew the peace process. In this respect, the White House is currently formulating a declaration of principles to serve as a blueprint for jump-starting Israeli-Palestinian negotiations within a regional framework.