Like Causes?

Install the App
TRY NOW
Countable Is Officially Causes.com

senate Bill S. 1697

Should the Palestinian Authority Not Get Foreign Aid Unless it Stops Paying Rewards to Terrorists?

Argument in favor

The U.S. shouldn’t be providing foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority when the organization is paying monetary rewards to terrorists and their surviving family members. This bill ends that.

Mart's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
Why are we giving money to them in the first place? Second, why do we give money to anyone that is an enemy of our friends? Thirdly, anyone that supports terror are themselves terrorists, including our own government!
Like (156)
Follow
Share
TuckerWantsLiberty's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
No country should get foreign aid. Foreign aid squashes incentives for local investment and entrepreneurship, encourages corruption and cronyism (because SOMEONE decides where all that money gets spent, so the incentive is either to become that person or to get close to that person), and robs the citizens of THIS country to be able to fund it. Foreign "aid" doesn't aid anyone except the corrupt.
Like (60)
Follow
Share
operaman's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
The Palestinians Authority is synonymous to the Italian Crime Syndicate. To quote from “My Fair Lady,” not a brass Farthing. Abbas and his Authority have been milking the EU and U.S. for decades. Having our support to murder opposition parties is a slap in our face after spending our cash. End it!
Like (36)
Follow
Share

Argument opposed

The U.S. needs to provide aid to the Palestinian Authority even if the State Department can’t certify that they’re taking steps to end violence against Israelis and paying terrorists.

OlderNWiser's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
Yet another racist bill against Muslims. With Israel moving into their land, breaking laws, treating Palestinians as we treat Native Americans, now we write yet another law to punish Palestinians for being born brown? To be against Israel‘s occupation and devastation of Palestine is emphatically not to be called anti-Semitic. People who have been brutalized suffer generational PTSD and can unconsciously act out past ills in the present. With all empathy and love for both sides I am appalled at how Palestine is scapegoated. No, this is another racist bill.
Like (126)
Follow
Share
Grace's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
Citizens in Gaza & the West Bank need it the most. Palestinians are one of the worlds largest refugee populations. Sanctions should be put on Israel until they stop their illegal settlements in the area.
Like (53)
Follow
Share
Pego's Opinion
···
09/20/2017
We consistently side with Israeli extremists and label Palestinian self defense of the most pathetic obsolete and rudimentary level as if they were grand international terrorists. These guy have little beyond rocks and mostly dud guns, rockets and bombs. They consistently manage only one fatality to every 200 the Israeli army levies against them. Quite literally, they would do more damage driving taxis and would at least get insurance for the traffic accidents
Like (35)
Follow
Share

What is Senate Bill S. 1697?

This bill — known as the Taylor Force Act — would prohibit foreign aid from being made available to the West Bank and Gaza unless the State Dept. certifies that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is taking steps to end violence and terrorism against Israeli citizens committed by individuals under its jurisdiction. The State Dept. would also have to certify that the PA has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against Israeli citizens to any individual convicted and imprisoned for such acts, to any individual who died committing such acts, and to the individual’s family members. It would also have to certify that laws or systems using the length of the prison sentences for terrorism to determine compensation are eliminated.

The bill would also urge the State Dept. and the U.S. delegation to the U.N. to encourage other countries to also call for an end to these payments. Further, it expresses support for the creation of a general welfare system for Palestinians.

This bill is named after Taylor Force, a 29 year old former U.S. Army officer who was part of a Vanderbilt University tour group visiting Israel when he was stabbed and killed by a Palestinian terrorist in March 2016. Another 10 tourists were wounded. The PA’s Fatah faction, of which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is a member, praised the terrorist as being a “heroic martyr” and hasn’t condemned the attack.

Impact

The Palestinian Authority; and the State Department.

Cost of Senate Bill S. 1697

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

More Information

In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced this bill to cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority if it continues to pay monetary rewards to terrorists and their surviving family members:

“This legislation shines a light on a very real problem. Why is the Palestinian Authority paying young Palestinians to commit acts of terror against innocent Americans like Taylor Force or Israelis? The Palestinians need to decide — do they condemn these horrible acts or do they reward them? You can’t be a partner in peace when you are paying people to commit terrorist acts. The choice the Palestinians make will determine the type of relationship they have with the United States in the years to come.”

The State Department announced on September 14 that the administration “strongly supports” this legislation, which it called “a consequence of Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization’s policy of paying terrorists and their families.” It added that President Donald Trump has raised this issue with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during meetings in Washington and Bethlehem.

The chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to the U.S. called this legislation “misinformed and counterproductive” and described the PA’s program as intended “to support families who lost their breadwinners to the atrocities of the occupation, the vast majority of whom are unduly arrested or killed by Israel.”

This legislation passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on a 17-4 vote. It has the support of 25 bipartisan cosponsors, including 17 Republicans and eight Democrats.


Of Note: The PA has a system that incentivizes terrorism by paying monthly stipends of as much as $3,500 to Palestinians who commit acts of violence and to their families. The payment amount depends on the length of the jail sentence they receive for the crime.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: chetanyarobinson / Flickr)

AKA

Taylor Force Act

Official Title

A bill to condition assistance to the West Bank and Gaza on steps by the Palestinian Authority to end violence and terrorism against Israeli citizens and United States Citizens.

bill Progress

  • Not enacted
    The President has not signed this bill
  • The house has not voted
  • The senate has not voted
      senate Committees
      Committee on Foreign Relations
    IntroducedAugust 1st, 2017
    Mart's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Why are we giving money to them in the first place? Second, why do we give money to anyone that is an enemy of our friends? Thirdly, anyone that supports terror are themselves terrorists, including our own government!
    Like (156)
    Follow
    Share
    OlderNWiser's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Yet another racist bill against Muslims. With Israel moving into their land, breaking laws, treating Palestinians as we treat Native Americans, now we write yet another law to punish Palestinians for being born brown? To be against Israel‘s occupation and devastation of Palestine is emphatically not to be called anti-Semitic. People who have been brutalized suffer generational PTSD and can unconsciously act out past ills in the present. With all empathy and love for both sides I am appalled at how Palestine is scapegoated. No, this is another racist bill.
    Like (126)
    Follow
    Share
    TuckerWantsLiberty's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    No country should get foreign aid. Foreign aid squashes incentives for local investment and entrepreneurship, encourages corruption and cronyism (because SOMEONE decides where all that money gets spent, so the incentive is either to become that person or to get close to that person), and robs the citizens of THIS country to be able to fund it. Foreign "aid" doesn't aid anyone except the corrupt.
    Like (60)
    Follow
    Share
    Grace's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Citizens in Gaza & the West Bank need it the most. Palestinians are one of the worlds largest refugee populations. Sanctions should be put on Israel until they stop their illegal settlements in the area.
    Like (53)
    Follow
    Share
    Abbi's Public Comment
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Firstly I want proof they even are, secondly I want to know why we are giving Israel ten billion dollars that could fund social programs here, to make Gaza unlivable for Palestinians and not let them leave basically making it a concentration camp. It seems to me that America is the one arming terrorists.
    Like (46)
    Follow
    Share
    operaman's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    The Palestinians Authority is synonymous to the Italian Crime Syndicate. To quote from “My Fair Lady,” not a brass Farthing. Abbas and his Authority have been milking the EU and U.S. for decades. Having our support to murder opposition parties is a slap in our face after spending our cash. End it!
    Like (36)
    Follow
    Share
    Pego's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    We consistently side with Israeli extremists and label Palestinian self defense of the most pathetic obsolete and rudimentary level as if they were grand international terrorists. These guy have little beyond rocks and mostly dud guns, rockets and bombs. They consistently manage only one fatality to every 200 the Israeli army levies against them. Quite literally, they would do more damage driving taxis and would at least get insurance for the traffic accidents
    Like (35)
    Follow
    Share
    Terry's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Why did we pay them to begin with ?
    Like (30)
    Follow
    Share
    Andrew's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    If this were a business proposition it would make sense: you don't invest in things that yield bad returns. The problem is foreign aid isn't an investment...it's aid. The people who need it shouldn't be punished because their leaders are misusing the funds. We can punish the wrongdoers without stopping aid to people who need it.
    Like (27)
    Follow
    Share
    Luke's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    This is an absolute waste of our money.
    Like (27)
    Follow
    Share
    DrRichSwier's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    American taxpayers should never ever provide funding to reward radical Islamic terrorism. Never.
    Like (24)
    Follow
    Share
    I.Got.an.Idea...'s Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Let's apply a similar policy to ALL congress. We shall set up a ratings agency that will review the individual performance of ALL congress and their staff. If a politician supports any legislation that passes a simple test as to whether it benefits The People, then the politician and the associated staff will receive 5% of their annual compensation. If a politician is found to support any legislation that benefits special interests, or corporations more so than The People, the politician and associated staff, shall lose 20% of their annual compensation. This provides a litmus test, based in actual performance of their duties and responsibilities to the United States Citizens.
    Like (22)
    Follow
    Share
    Dean's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    The Israelis commit terrorist acts also. Will aid to Israel be cut too?
    Like (19)
    Follow
    Share
    singinghawk926's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/21/2017
    When we withdraw or lower significantly our massive financial support for Israel's military, I may consider this bill as an option. Until then I will oppose it!
    Like (16)
    Follow
    Share
    JTJ's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    We should not be giving them aid period.
    Like (15)
    Follow
    Share
    Tobey's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    If this is going to be an anti-terrorist bill, then Israel needs to be included. Let's not forget the Palestinian interned in concentration camps with inhumane conditions and thousands of Palestinian civilians being slaughtered because a barrage of rockets blew up some people's roofs. Terrorism should be condemned no matter what name it's in.
    Like (14)
    Follow
    Share
    CombatVeteran's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    This seems like a no-brainer to me. I don't think we should send them anything regardless, as they can't be trusted. I vote that all funds to the middle East (aside from Israel) be revoked and not continued in the future.
    Like (12)
    Follow
    Share
    Dale's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Here's an idea, stop subsidizing Israel
    Like (12)
    Follow
    Share
    Dee's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    It boggles my mind why this should even be something to vote on. What happened to logic and common sense?
    Like (10)
    Follow
    Share
    AmyInNJ's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/20/2017
    Terrorists who murder do not deserve martyr payments for their families; just the thought of this is abhorrent. However, we must also be vigilant that US withholding of funds does not create a vacuum into which other vile and murderous groups pour their blood money.
    Like (9)
    Follow
    Share
    MORE