Trump administration backs bill to halt aid to Palestinians
The Trump administration declared its firm support Thursday for a bill that would suspend U.S. financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it ends what critics have described as a long-standing practice of rewarding Palestinians who kill Americans and Israelis. The State Department announcement comes nearly six weeks after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the measure. The legislation, which is named after an American who was stabbed to death in Israel by a Palestinian, reflects bipartisan outrage over what lawmakers have termed a “pay to slay” program endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. “The Trump administration strongly supports the Taylor Force Act, which is a consequence of Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization’s policy of paying terrorists and their families,” the State Department said. The department added that President Donald Trump “raised the need to end any part of this program that incentivizes violence against Israeli and American citizens with President Mahmoud Abbas last May in both Washington and Bethlehem.” But the Palestinian Authority has disputed the accusations and called the bill misinformed. Husam Zomlot, chief representative of the Palestinian General Delegation to the U.S., said last month that the program is more than 50 years old and is aimed at giving support to families “who lost their breadwinners to the atrocities of the occupation, the vast majority of whom are unduly arrested or killed by Israel.” One of the bill’s main sponsors, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said the Palestinian Authority has created monetary incentives for acts of terrorism by paying monthly stipends of as much as $3,500 to Palestinians who commit acts of violence and to their families. The amount of the payment depends on the length of the jail sentence they receive for the crime, he said. Corker is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Palestinians have argued that ending Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem – lands that Palestinians seek for their state – is key to defeating terrorism. Taylor Force was an MBA student at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and a West Point graduate who was visiting Israel in March 2016 when he was killed. Force was from Lubbock, Texas. His parents live in South Carolina. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the Palestinian Authority praised Force’s killer as a “heroic martyr.” He estimated that the Palestinian Authority has paid $144 million in “martyr payments” over the years. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Bradley Byrne: A bipartisan vote to stand with Israel
The United States has no stronger ally than Israel. Our relationship has always been strong, both economically and militarily. Israel plays an especially important role in helping us combat radical Islamic terrorism in the Middle East. In other words, Israel serves as a beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity in a very dangerous part of the world. That is why support for Israel has always been a bipartisan priority shared by Democrats and Republicans. While serving in Congress, I have had the opportunity to visit Israel on multiple occasions to meet with the leaders and discuss the relationship between our two countries. During these trips, the Israeli people always share their deep appreciation for the partnership between our two countries, but they also make clear the fact they face very significant challenges. For decades now, Israel has been in a long running dispute regarding its very right to exist. The dispute is complicated and deeply personal as it is based on religious, ethnic, and cultural ties. This struggle has resulted in multiple wars and placed Israel in a constant state of conflict. Given the importance of the relationship between the United States and Israel and the sensitivities related to the ongoing conflict with the Palestinian Authority, I was deeply disappointed to see the United Nations (UN) recently pass a flawed, anti-Israel resolution that will only make it more difficult to achieve peace. Since 1972, the United States has used our position as a UN Security Council member to veto 42 anti-Israel amendments. As the vote grew closer on this most recent resolution, the hope was that the United States would once again use our veto power. Instead, the United States Ambassador “abstained” from the vote altogether. In other words, the United States turned our back and looked the other way as the UN passed a flawed resolution attacking Israel. This represents a dangerous break in a long-standing and bipartisan policy to protect our sole democratic ally in the region from one-sided resolutions at the UN. This resolution does absolutely nothing to solve the underlying issues. In fact, it muddies the water and only further complicates what is already a very complex issue. The resolution also failed to make mention of the fact that Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, continues work with the Palestinian Authority and engage in hostile actions against Israel. To be clear: no solution to the ongoing problems with Israel and the Palestinian Authority is going to come from an international body, like the United Nations, telling them what to do. Any real solution must come from negotiations between the involved parties. Given the many blunders from the Obama Administration on the world stage, I guess this most recent action should not be all that surprising. But this action is one of the most irresponsible acts ever by an outgoing President. It will be a dark stain on an already disastrous foreign policy legacy. Last week, as one of the first actions in the new year, the House of Representatives passed a bill opposing the UN’s anti-Israel resolution and condemning the inability of the Obama Administration to stand up for Israel. This wasn’t a one sided vote. In fact, 109 Democrats joined with 233 Republicans to pass the resolution with over 340 votes. This is a strong message to our friends in Israel that the United States still has their backs. Now is the time to stand up for Israel, not turn away from them. It is my sincere hope and belief, that under President-elect Donald Trump, the United States will once again stand arm-in-arm with Israel. This bipartisan resolution was an important step in that direction. • • • Bradley Byrne is a member of U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
Bradley Byrne: Lessons from Israel
Ronald Reagan once said that the friendship between the United States and Israel is “based on historic moral and strategic ties, as well as our shared dedication to democracy.” With that in mind, I recently traveled to Israel with a Congressional delegation in an effort to strengthen the partnership between our two countries. Throughout the trip, we met with top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. We also met with members of the Israel Defense Forces, the opposition leader, leaders from the Palestinian Authority, local historians, and Israeli business officials. I was especially impressed by the Israel Defense Forces and their commitment to defending their country. I had the opportunity to visit with young men and women who serve in the IDF during a luncheon near the Gaza Strip. I have no doubt in the ability of these individuals to stand up against the radical terrorists who continue to attack Israel. We were also able to get a firsthand look at the Iron Dome technology, which is the air defense system designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery developed jointly between the U.S. and Israel. The system was very effective during last year’s conflict between Israel and Hamas. There are a number of Iron Dome sites set up all across Israel that have saved thousands of Israeli lives, and I am proud the United States helped make this technology possible. We also traveled to the Golan Heights in the northern part of Israel near the border with Syria. From there, we viewed some of the territory claimed by the Islamic State. Israel is in an impossible position, under attack from literally all sides, with a major Islamic terrorist organization and a country experiencing civil war just miles from its border. As you may expect, much of our trip focused on the proposed nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, expressed serious concerns that Iran will use the $150 billion in sanctions relief to fund terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, who have repeatedly attacked Israel. We can’t forget that Iran is the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and it does not make sense to give them access to billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets. I knew before I visited Israel that the Iran nuclear deal was bad for the American people, but this trip has further reinforced my concerns. I will certainly oppose the Iran nuclear agreement when it comes before Congress for a vote, and I will work to convince my colleagues to do the same. All political and national security issues aside, Israel is also home to a number of historical and holy sites. As a Christian, it was very powerful to travel in the area where Jesus once walked. I had the opportunity to pray at the Western Wall, which is the western wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. We also visited the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where Mary lay the Baby Jesus in the manger. So as President Reagan said, there are clear political, security, and cultural ties between the United States and Israel, and now is certainly not the time to be turning our back to Israel. I made sure to tell all the Israeli people I talked to that the United States is going to continue to stand strong with Israel against the violent extremists who threaten their way of life. Bradley Byrne is a member of the U.S. Congress representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.
