By Doug Lamborn and Elazar Stern
Innocent Americans and Israelis are being murdered by financially rewarded ‘martyrs’
On July 14, three Arab citizens of Israel entered Jerusalem’s Temple Mount armed to attack. They shot and killed two Israeli police officers — Hayil Satawi, 30, and Kamil Dhanaan, 22, members of the Israeli Druze community. The terrorists were shot and killed. Their families will receive monthly reward checks from the Palestinian Authority for the rest of their lives.
A week later, on July 21, a 19-year-old Palestinian terrorist walked into a Jewish home during a Shabbat meal and stabbed three Israelis to death: Yosef Salomon, 70, and two of his children; Chaya Salomon, 46, and Elad Salomon, 36. The Palestinian Authority will send a monthly check to this terrorist who will sit in prison for the rest of his life — as compensation this heinous attack.
In March of last year, a 28-year-old American student named Taylor Force was visiting Israel on a school trip. While walking near the beach in Tel Aviv, a 22-year-old Palestinian stabbed him to death in a terror attack. Taylor Force was an Eagle Scout, West Point graduate, and a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He represents everything any parent could want their son or daughter to be.
Shortly after his son’s murder, Stuart Force said, “All dads and all moms are proud of their kids. Taylor basically did everything right, but he was humble about it.” Mr. and Mrs. Force lost their treasured son in this terror attack. They were left with only photographs and memories. The terrorist who murdered Taylor was killed shortly after by police — but his family was left with something else, a lucrative financial reward.
The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, gives financial rewards for terror attacks. The more people killed in an attack, the higher the financial reward. Families of terrorists receive a pension for life which is triple the average salary in the West Bank, free tuition and health insurance, a clothing allowance, and a monthly stipend.
In 2016, the PA paid $135 million to terrorists jailed in Israel, and $183 million to families of terrorists. That adds up to more than $300 million to reward and incentivize acts of murder — in one year alone.