Taylor Force Act Vote and Passage needed!

Bryan Leib
Jul 22, 2017 · 3 min read

The Taylor Force Act was first introduced on the U.S House and Senate floors in February 2017 and has been stuck in committees ever since. The bill is named after fallen U.S. Army officer Taylor Force, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Jaffa.

The purpose of the bill as it reads:

This bill prohibits certain assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 from being made available for the West Bank and Gaza unless the Department of State certifies that the Palestinian Authority:

  • is taking steps to end acts of violence against U.S. and Israeli citizens perpetrated by individuals under its jurisdictional control, such as the March 2016 attack that killed former Army officer Taylor Force;
  • is publicly condemning such acts of violence and is investigating, or cooperating in investigations of, such acts; and
  • has terminated payments for acts of terrorism against U.S. and Israeli citizens to any individual who has been convicted and imprisoned for such acts, to any individual who died committing such acts, and to family members of such an individual.

As a Moderate Republican Jewish American, who is very pro-Israel, I am deeply offended that this bill has not been passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support months ago! When I look at the 15 Co-Sponsors for the Senate’s bill, S.474, there is only one Democrat who is co-sponsoring the bill. When I look at the 86 Co-Sponsors for the House’s bill, H.R. 1164, there are no Democrats who are Co-Sponsors. Zero House Democrats!

This is ridiculous. We, the United States of America are funding the Palestinian Authority with taxpayer dollars while the PA continues to make payments to those Palestinians and their families who have died killing Americans and Israelis.

When is enough well….enough! The United States Congress needs to send our strongest message ever to the PA by passing the Taylor Force Act and cutting off all foreign aid to the PA. Immediately!

What bothers me even more and it’s very obvious if you look at who is Co-Sponsoring the Senate and House bills is the fact that Liberal Jewish American Democrats are not standing up to denounce the PA and their activity. Why isn’t every Democrat and Republican in both houses signed on to this bill? Why isn’t every Pro-Israel Lobbying group and every Pro-Israel Jewish American shouting from the rooftops that we need to pass the Taylor Force Act? Where is their moral compass? How can we continue funding the PA when they make payments to those who murders Americans and Israelis? When they name parks and elementary schools after suicide bombers and when they continue to murder Israelis and Americans in cold blood?

This is a much deeper issue then simply cutting off US foreign aid because when we do cut off the foreign aid, I’m sure that Iran will step in to subsidize the PA’s loss. That is the much deeper issue here but we must act now with the resources at our disposal. Iran actively calls for the destruction of Israel and America. They fund terrorism around the globe and directly in Israel. The previous administration considered Iran a friend, an ally… What? How?

The bottom line is that I am calling on every single Jewish American to put aside party politics and support the Taylor Force Act. Sign this petition that was prepared by the Republican Jewish Coalition as a start and call your Senator and Congressman/woman on Monday to tell them you support S. 474 and H.R. 1164. It is imperative that we stand up against the PA once and for all. Again, I don’t see this isn’t a Republican vs Democrat issue. I see this as a humanitarian issue. We need to stop funding a foreign government who condones, incites and incentives their people to murder Americans and Israelis. Pass the Taylor Force Act immediately!!!

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