Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told senators Tuesday the Palestinian Authority intends to “cease the payments” to families of prisoners serving sentences for attacking Israelis.
The Palestinian Authority has long paid prisoners and their families, but the issue has become more prominent as Israel has pressed President Trump to demand Palestinians end the policy.
Tillerson, testifying in a hearing on Capitol Hill with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the State Department’s budget, said the Palestinian Authority plans to end that practice.
“They have changed that policy, and their intent is to cease the payments to the families of those who have committed murder or violence against others,” Tillerson said. “We have been very clear with them that this is simply not acceptable to us.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government pressed the Trump administration to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority unless the payments stop.
Republicans in Congress have also exerted pressure.
In February, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced legislation that would cut U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority if it continued to provide money to the families of those convicted and imprisoned for committing terrorist acts against Israelis.
