The Taylor Force Act is the Right Thing to Do
Congressman Lamborn supports legislation to hold the Palestinian Authority accountable.
I would like to thank Senator Graham for organizing this event, and to my colleagues on both sides of the Capitol, including my Israel Caucus Co-Chair Lee Zeldin, for their leadership on this vitally important issue.
After last year’s brutal murder of Taylor Force, Israelis and Americans mourned the loss of Force, as well as the wounding of 10 others, including a pregnant woman. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority praised the murderer. Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority refused to condemn the attack, and the official Fatah Facebook page posted the following statement of praise to the “martyrs”:
O the pride of all of the young Palestinians, may your blood remain a source of true honor for the homeland for which you sacrificed all — even your precious lives. We promise you that your blood will continue to be a torch that illuminates our path. . .
Moreover, official PA TV stated that “Twelve settlers were hurt, among them an American tourist who was killed.” Notice the word “settlers.”
Jaffa-Tel Aviv, where Taylor was killed, is not a disputed territory. It is nowhere near the West Bank or Gaza. Claiming the Tel Aviv victims to be “settlers” reveals the radical Islamic supremacist mindset that dominates Palestinian culture, which sees all of Israel as “occupied territory” to be liberated.
This is the same Palestinian Authority that American taxpayers are subsidizing each and every year with hundreds of millions of our hard-earned tax dollars.
By referring to Israelis in Tel Aviv as “settlers,” the PA makes it abundantly clear that it is not interested in peace with Israel or even a piece of Israel. The radicals and extremists who run Fatah and Hamas want all of Israel!
We must absolutely and unequivocally condemn this brutal attack on innocent life, as well as the radical Islamic mindset that celebrates such an attack. Tragically, those who live in Israel know that this attack was not unique. Attacks like these will continue until we use our power of the purse to actually hold the PA accountable. Our bill, the Taylor Force Act, does just that.
Thank you to everyone here today who agrees with us that the right thing to do is clear: no taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority until it condemns terrorism and stops payments to terrorists.
Congressman Doug Lamborn represents Colorado’s fifth district. He has introduced the House companion version of the Taylor Force Act in the 115th Congress. For more information about his efforts for Israel, please visit his official website.
