Taxpayers have learned the Biden administration sent more than $500 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA) with a real possibility the money will support terrorism against Israel. As a result, two victims of terrorist violence and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) filed a federal lawsuit against President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accusing them of breaking the law in funding the PA with no assurance the money will be used for humanitarian purposes.
In breaking the story, Fox News reported:
"The law, which is named for Taylor Force, a US Army veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in 2016, prohibits US economic assistance that benefits the Palestinian Authority unless and until the secretary of state certifies that the group has terminated funding of violent extremism."
The Taylor Force Act was popular on both sides of the aisle, with 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voting in favor. Former President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law in 2018. In the recent suit, America First Legal (AFL) is leading the action against the administration. The case made in the complaint asserts, "Every terrorist, regardless of their affiliations or the identity of their victims, is paid by the Palestinian Authority. This includes members of designated terror organizations, such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who kill US citizens."
Biden Sued for Funding Terrorism
The PA program is called Pay to Slay. Additionally, the complainants maintain US aid to the PA will eventually find its way to reward the families of Palestinian terrorists, which increases with the number of casualties caused by the attacks. The connection between the current administration's euphemistically termed "humanitarian" giveaway programs and the funding of America's and Israel's enemies has been a hallmark of Biden's foreign policy and has come under persistent criticism.
Not three months into office, Biden's State Department declared it would start providing aid to the PA, support the previous Trump administration had halted. On April 7, 2021, Foggy Bottom announced it was providing the PA $150 million in assistance and would distribute the money through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UNRWA is responsible for distributing relief goods and services to Palestinian refugees. "Since April 2021, the United States has provided over half a billion dollars in assistance for the Palestinians, including more than $417 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinian refugees through UNRWA," a March 2022 State Department fact sheet states with pride.
Joe Biden (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, that is not all UNRWA does in support of the PA. "UNRWA has drawn criticism numerous times in recent months for distributing learning materials to Palestinian students that glorified militants and promoted violence against Israelis," Marc Rod explained in an April 2021 Jewish Insider article. What is perplexing about the White House's continuously ignoring the Taylor Force Act is the hubris with which the administration breaks the law. The legislation unambiguously states the United States cannot provide aid to the PA unless the State Department certifies the money will not go to sponsor terrorism.
State Department Can’t Certify Compliance With Law
The administration cannot prove the money it donates doesn't support PA terrorists. The State Department told Congress in March 2021 it could not certify the PA and its surrogates used the funding in accordance with the Taylor Force Act. "Again, in October 2022, the State Department reported to Congress that it has not verified whether the Palestinian Authority has stopped funding terrorism," Fred Lucas reported for Fox News. Failing to comply with the Taylor Force Act and then announcing more aid to the PA and other violent organizations is an admission of guilt.
Few have accused Biden of holding the rule of law in high regard. Whether it's following America's regulations on immigration that prohibit people from illegally flooding our southern border or giving aid and comfort to America's enemies, maybe the weight of the court system with a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs will shed light on the president's illegal practices.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliation.
