FSWC Commends U.S. Lawmakers for Passing Taylor Force Act
March 23, 2018

Friends of SimonWiesenthal Center (FSWC) applauds the U.S. Congress for passing thehistoric Taylor Force Act as part of its government spendingpackage.

This principled pieceof legislation, named for American army veteran Taylor Force, who was stabbedand killed by a Palestinian terrorist while visiting Israel in 2016, willfreeze U.S. financial aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it stopscompensating terrorists and their surviving family members.

“We commend theDemocratic and Republican lawmakers who put politics aside to pass this vitallyimportant bill,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “Paying terrorists iscontrary to civility and it’s encouraging to see bipartisan support forchange.”

The Taylor Force Act was written andintroduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the state where TaylorForce’s parents live.

“We will be forever heartbroken, but feel that this legislation may spurother nations to re-examine their unintended funding of terrorism” wrote StuartForce to FSWC. “By its very nature, terrorism impacts innocents.  Thatmust end.”

With respect toCanada, FSWC has previously expressed concern concerning federal funding forPalestinian aid via the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for PalestineRefugees (UNRWA). UNRWA continues to face ongoing questions surrounding itsties to Hamas and has been accused of corruption and incitement of antisemitismin its schools.

Our organization callson the Canadian government to heed the passage of the Taylor Force Act, as it did theU.S. Magnitsky Act, and stringently ensure that Canadian tax dollars aregoing towards humanitarian aid rather than to support terrorists or terroristactivity in Israel.