In this week’s edition of the CUFI Action Update, we look at the
rising concerns about Palestinian terrorism emanating from Judea and
Samaria, and the impact American policy is having on the
future prospects for peace in the region. Spoiler alert: things are not
going well.

**Gearing Up**

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is often a time period during which
there is an uptick in violent activity by Palestinian terror groups. The
conventional wisdom is that during this period, more time is spent in
the Mosque, and some Islamic religious leaders preach extremism. This
is, of course, an abomination, as killing in God’s name may just be
the worst of all ways to take His name in vain, but we digress. The
reality is that Palestinian terror groups increase attacks during
Ramadan in the hopes of creating a wider conflagration between Israelis
and Palestinians.

In order to prepare for the potential violence, Israel has been stepping
up the number of police officers that will be in sensitive areas in
Jerusalem, among other locations. Tensions are already high given the
series of Palestinian terror attacks we’ve seen in recent weeks, but
there are efforts to address the potential for violence that go beyond
traditional security measures.

Representatives of the Israeli, Jordanian, Egyptian and U.S.
governments, as well as emissaries from the Palestinian Authority met
this past Sunday in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. The stated goal was to try
to tamp down the prospects for conflict in the coming month, but, sadly,
even as the representatives were meeting, yet another Palestinian terror
attack took place – this time wounding a retired U.S. Marine now
living in Israel.

Since the beginning of the year, 14 people have been killed and many
more wounded as a result of Palestinian terror. In fact, things have
become so violent and tense that Jordan is now concerned that
Palestinian terrorism could spill over into its borders. Like the
Israelis, we’ll be praying for the best while preparing for the worst.

**Abbas is Not Immortal**

One eventuality for which no one in the U.S. government seems to be
prepared is the eventual demise of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Some
facts: born in 1935, Abbas is 87 years old. He is entering the
18th year of his four-year term. He smokes a lot. He will not live
forever. There is no clear successor post-Abbas.  

Mix the above facts with the increasingly violent acts of terror we’re
seeing from Palestinian terror groups, and you have all the ingredients
for a disaster. Part of the problem is that successive American
presidents have propped up the PA while demanding very little – if
anything – in return, all while crossing their fingers and hoping
Abbas will stay alive until the next U.S. president takes office.

This must change. The U.S. must tie any support to any
Palestinian-controlled entities to demonstrable changes in the way the
PA operates both internally and externally. We cannot continue to double
down on the same failed policy that has gotten us to this point.

**Your Money Promoting Terrorism**

Case in point: the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a
government entity funded by your tax dollars, has been funding the
Omariya Secondary School for Girls in Qalqilya that not that long ago
glorified a Palestinian terrorist who murdered seven people. Through
USAID, the Biden administration has already pumped $150 million dollars
into Palestinian entities over the past six months, and has plans to
give hundreds of millions of dollars more in support for “the
Palestinian people.”

 What has the U.S. government gotten in return for such largess?
Terror, murder, and intransigence. And this shouldn’t really come as a
surprise. The Palestinian leadership has been indoctrinating children
into a hate-filled society for whom antisemitic violence is a laudable
activity. It’s no wonder that those same children grow up to commit
acts of murder or celebrate those very acts by passing out sweets as is
regularly seen in the aftermath of these events. And aside from a few
strongly worded missives, the current administration has done nothing to
curb the violence or the indoctrination. The money just flows,
regardless of where it ends up or who it harms. This policy is damning
the next generation of Palestinians to know only hate. It is also the
worst possible policy for those who seek peace in the region.

This said, we must remember that the White House isn’t the only center
of power in the U.S. As such,  we are working with Congressional allies
to address the woeful state of U.S. policy toward the Palestinians –
starting with support for terrorism.

Earlier this month, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO),
and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced the Taylor Force Martyr
Payment Prevention Act. This bipartisan legislation would “deter
foreign banks from processing [so-called martyr] payments for the
Palestinian Authority by cutting off their access to the United States
financial system.”

As Cotton noted when introducing the legislation, “Radical Islamic
terrorists shouldn’t be rewarded for killing innocent people, and
banks should be held responsible for processing any sort of ‘martyr
payments.’ Our bill will build upon the original Taylor Force Act to
ensure Palestinian terrorists don’t benefit financially for committing
these senseless murders.”

The truth is that this legislation will not address the impending
Palestinian power vacuum or USAID’s support for terror-backing
schools, but it could address the most immediate issue of the PA’s
direct support for terrorism. And, for now, that’s a much-needed step
in the right direction.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team <https:[link removed]>

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