(JNS) As Donald Trump returns to the White House, questions arise about the future of US financial support for the Palestinian Authority. Lightning rod issues include the involvement of PA security forces in terror attacks, and the “pay for slay” stipends Ramallah pays to terrorists imprisoned in Israel.
Historically, U.S. aid to the PA was justified as promoting regional stability and countering Hamas. However, critics argue this funding indirectly supports terror.
While the U.S. cut aid in 2018 over the stipends, financial assistance resumed under President Joe Biden amounting to around $1 billion, including $33 million for UNRWA and $5.5 million for other humanitarian partners. In 2022, $316 million in aid was announced during President Biden’s visit to Ramallah and another $100 million was allocated the following year. In 2024, USAID provided $230 million to support Palestinian economic recovery and development programs.
Palestinian Authority Security’s Terror Ties
“The PA justifies promoting violence while receiving international recognition as a peace partner by claiming Palestinians have the right to fight ‘occupiers,’ including civilians and children,” Itamar Marcus, director of Palestine Media Watch, told The Press Service of Israel.
A report issued by PMW in 2024 pointed that 63-65% of “martyrs” in Judea and Samaria are members of Fatah and most of them are part of the PA Security Forces or their families. In 2023 alone, more than 1,500 terror attacks against Israelis in Judea and Samaria were led by PA Security Forces and Fatah members. More than 350 members of the PA Security Forces are imprisoned for terrorism-related offenses, though many are expected to be released under the terms of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Moran Tal, a researcher at the Israeli nonprofit, Regavim, has written extensively about the Palestinian security personnel who carry out terror attacks.
She told TPS-IL that Palestinian culture glorifies terror by honoring terrorists within the security forces, giving military funerals to those killed carrying out attacks, and messaging in state-controlled media.
“The Palestinian Authority is a hub for terrorists. They host terrorists, even those who are not from the Palestinian Authority itself — Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and others,” she told TPS-IL.
Tal highlights the complex relationship between Palestinian security forces and terror attacks, often involving family ties and weapon transfers.
“The Palestinian security forces are not there to protect Israel. They are maintaining control within the Palestinian territories to keep their own power intact, not to ensure security for Israelis,” Tal insisted.
Pay for Slay
By law, the Palestinian Authority allocates seven percent of its annual budget — around $279 million — for its so-called “Martyr’s Fund,” which funds stipends to terrorists. The size of the monthly payouts is primarily determined by the duration of the terrorist’s incarceration, with minor adjustments depending on the family’s size.
“Donor countries, especially the U.S., must reassess their support. Funds meant for governance and development should not incentivize terrorism,” legal expert Maurice Hirsch told TPS-IL. Hirsch, who is also the director of the Initiative for PA Accountability and Reform at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs explained that Ramallah’s financial mechanisms enable the PA to “pay terrorists salaries far exceeding the average Palestinian wage.”
In 2024, PA terror payments dropped significantly for the first time in decades. This was attributed to disruptions caused by the war in Gaza and logistical issues caused when Israel blocked Red Cross workers from visiting Israeli prisons.
Ramallah has been paying out stipends for years, but the issue came under a spotlight following the murder of Taylor Force, a U.S. citizen killed by a Palestinian who went on a stabbing rampage in Jaffa in 2018. Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, which halted U.S. aid to the Palestinians as long as terror stipends are being paid out.
“The PA is enabling terrorists to get rich with no repercussions. And Israel is doing nothing beyond the Deduction Law,” Hirsch told TPS-IL. The Deduction Law allows authorities to deduct an equivalent amount of money from tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The law also allows families of terror victims to collect judgments from the frozen funds.
“The international community, particularly donor nations like the U.S., is failing to take meaningful action. It must impose sanctions on all those involved in terrorist payments to disrupt this ongoing system of support for terrorism,” Hirsch insisted.
He said the presidential transition holds potential for the U.S. to leverage its influence to curb these practices.
“The U.S. could make it clear that no funding will be allowed to reach the PA as long as they continue these payments to terrorists,” Hirsch insisted. “If the Palestinians understand that there are no consequences for their actions, they will not stop. No one is forcing them to stop.”
