In a significant development, a federal judge in Texas has given the green light to proceed with a lawsuit filed by America First Legal (AFL) in 2022, accusing President Joe Biden and his administration of knowingly aiding Palestinian terrorists.
The lawsuit alleges that the Biden administration unlawfully continued funding the Palestinian Authority despite its ongoing “Pay for Slay” program, which incentivizes attacks against those in or visiting Israel. The legal action, representing Congressman Ronny Jackson, R-Texas; Stuart and Robbi Force, parents of the late Taylor Force, a West Point graduate murdered by a Palestinian terrorist; and Sarri Singer, a survivor of a Jerusalem bus bombing, focuses on the Palestinian Authority’s long-standing program encouraging terrorism through financial payments, social services, and indoctrination.
The suit contends that, in violation of the Taylor Force Act, the Biden administration transferred nearly half a billion dollars to the Palestinian Authority, thus acknowledging its continued support for terrorism. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk’s recent ruling highlighted that the government’s funding was benefiting Palestinian terrorists, increasing the risk of attacks against the plaintiffs and others.
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AFL, seeking expedited and limited jurisdictional discovery, aims to compel the Biden administration to produce documents and testimony related to the case.
The plaintiffs argue that the Palestinian Authority’s “Pay to Slay” program rewards terrorists and their families based on casualties inflicted, with additional payments for factors such as marriage, children, or Israeli residency. The lawsuit points out that the program extends payments to members of designated terror organizations, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who have targeted U.S. citizens.
One tragic example highlighted in the suit is the case of Taylor Force, a U.S. Army veteran murdered by Bashar Masalha, a terrorist whose family allegedly benefited from the “Pay to Slay” initiative. In the aftermath of Force’s murder, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, prohibiting U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to the Palestinian Authority until it ceases supporting terrorism. The act condemns the Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying salaries to terrorists in Israeli prisons and the families of deceased terrorists as an incentive for acts of terror.
With the judge’s recent decision, the lawsuit against Biden gains momentum, shedding light on allegations of the administration’s complicity in supporting terrorism through financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. As the legal battle progresses, it poses significant implications for U.S. foreign policy and raises questions about accountability in handling taxpayer funds in situations with potential links to terrorism.
