The House Foreign Affairs Committee in a bipartisan vote has adopted the Taylor Force Act (TFA), which conditions certain American aid to the Palestinian Authority, based on ending the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO’s) practice of specifically paying families of jailed and deceased terrorists.

The bill, named in honor of Taylor Force, a U.S. Army veteran who was stabbed to death by a terrorist in Jaffa last year, would block economic aid that “directly benefits” the Palestinian Authority (which funds the PLO’s budget and staunchly advocates the continuation of such objectionable payments).

The bill would not affect U.S. support for Palestinian Authority security cooperation with Israel and would still permit certain forms of humanitarian assistance to PA citizens. It also specifically ensures the continuation of U.S. assistance to certain health and sanitation projects.

The New York-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauded the House committee for adopting the bill.

“It is time for the United States — and the entire international community — to make crystal clear to the Palestinians that rewarding terrorism is absolutely unacceptable and must stop immediately,” said ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt.

“True partners for peace do not engage in ‘pay to slay,’ as these payments have come to be known. This bill sends a clear message to the Palestinian Authority that they must immediately cease this veneration and celebration of terrorism, and take steps to crack down Palestinian incitement towards Israel. We urge both chambers of Congress to pass this important legislation.”

In August the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed an earlier, bipartisan version of the Taylor Force Act.

In a related development aimed at countering Hamas’s terror activity, the House Foreign Affairs Committee also passed the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act, which imposes powerful new sanctions on any foreign state, agency, organization, or person who provides significant financial or material support to the terrorist group.

Another bill, titled The Hamas Human Shields Prevention Act, highlights the terrorist group’s systematic and illegal use of human shields in its campaigns of violence against Israel and its citizens, and specifically imposes stiff sanctions against entities that authorize or enable this vicious practice.

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