WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul today introduced S.34, the Defend Israel by Defunding Palestinian Foreign Aid Act of 2015. This legislation will call for the immediate halt of U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority until it withdraws its request to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). Under the current U.S. law, America is prohibited from assisting the Palestinian Authority if it seeks ICC claims against Israel. Thus far, the Obama administration has not committed to taking any actions and appears disinclined to cut off aid. The bill text can be found below.

“It is up to the new Republican-led Congress to move on its own so that the President does not once again circumvent clear funding restrictions. We are currently sending roughly $400 million of U.S. taxpayer dollars to the Palestinian Authority,” Sen. Paul said. “Certainly groups that threaten Israel cannot be allies of the U.S. I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure this President and this Congress stop treating Israel’s enemies as American allies.”

LEGISLATION TEXT:

To prohibit assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it withdraws its request to join the International Criminal Court.

114TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ”Defend Israel by Defunding Palestinian Foreign Aid Act of 2015 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:?

(1) On December 31, 2014, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, signed several international conventions in an attempt to join the International Criminal Court.

(2) The Palestinian Authority has indicated that it will seek to use the International Criminal Court as a means to pursue charges against Israel.

(3) The Palestinian Authority remains engaged in a unity government with Hamas, a terrorist organization responsible for countless deaths and whose charter declares that ”there is no solution to the Palestinian question except by Jihad”.

(4) The United States provides more than $400,000,000 in assistance to the Palestinian Authority each year.

(5) Section 7041(i)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2015 (division J of Public Law 133-235) includes limitations on assistance to the Palestinian Authority if it seeks to join the International Criminal Court.

(6) The United States Government must make immediately clear to the Palestinian Authority that its attempts to join the International Criminal Court will carry serious consequences.

DAV15028 S.L.C. 3

.                 1  SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no amounts may be obligated or expended to provide any assistance, loan guarantee, or debt relief to the Palestinian Authority, or any affiliated governing entity, until the Palestinian Authority withdraws its request to join the International Criminal Court. 

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