Legislation passed by the United States Congress in 2019 came into effect this week, exposing the Palestinian Authority to potentially disastrous lawsuits over its support of terrorism,
The legislation is the latest in a series of steps seeking to hold the Palestinian Authority accountable for the incitement its propagates.
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One of these steps included the enactment of The Taylor Force Act in 2018, which state that Congress will withhold American economic aid to the Palestinian Authority until the PA ceases paying salaries to terrorists jailed in Israel and stipends to the families of terrorists who were killed while carrying to attempting to carry out terrorist attacks targeting Israelis.
The practice, known as the PA's "pay-to-slay" policy, amounts tens of millions of dollars every years, making up nearly 10% of the Palestinian Authority's annual budget. In the past, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud has vowed to continue paying stipends to terrorists even if its costs the Palestinian Authority "its very last dollar."
The legislation that came into effect this week – the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019 - seeks to impose US court jurisdiction on Palestine so that American citizens can target the PA with lawsuits for suicide attacks in the early 2000s.
The law was passed following the PA's refusal to pay damages to family members of hundreds of Israelis and Americans murdered or wounded in terrorist attacks in Israel.
Although US courts have time and again ruled that the PA is responsible for such attacks carrying out the attacks and is obligated to compensate the victims, the issue has been tossed between instances, being both upheld and overturned constantly.
The legal back and forth prompted Congress to step in, as part of the efforts to see justice served.
It is believed the Palestinian Authority owes terror victims and their families upwards of 1.5 billion shekels ($423 million).
Washington has been gradually cutting the financial aid afforded to Palestinian Authority since US President Donald Trump took office in 2016.
Brig. Gen.(ret.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a senior intelligence and security expert and a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affair, told Israel Hayom that the legislation was another step in the pressure the US is exerting on the Palestinian Authority to make it suspend its "pay-for-slay" policy.
