[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 55 (Friday, April 4, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               U.S. FOREIGN AID AND PALESTINIAN PRISONER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 4, 2014

  Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my 
dear friend from Florida for bringing this issue to Congress' 
attention. To know that the Palestinian Authority provides salaries to 
former prisoners of Israeli jails is alarming. To discover a Government 
Accountability Office report that U.S. government agencies may have 
inadvertently given money to these terrorist is a flagrant breach of 
fiduciary responsibility.
  In 2011 an Israeli research institute discovered international aid to 
the Palestinian Authority was paying for the salaries of Palestinian 
terrorist once imprisoned in Israel. Documents were discovered listing 
prisoner's salaries as being a part of the general fund, the same 
general fund which is partially comprised of foreign aid.
  Over the last fifteen years the U.S. government has committed around 
$5 billion in bilateral assistance to Palestinians. As recent as FY2013 
annual assistance to Palestine was about $440 million.
  A Palestinian Authority report shows prisoner's salaries as part of 
the Palestinian Authority's general salary budget which consists of 
civil servants and military personnel.
  Former prisoners receive salaries around $680 to $3,400 a month. The 
reason for the range in salary is due to the perverse nature of this 
program. The more protracted the stay in an Israeli prison, the more 
egregious the terrorist act, the higher the monthly compensation. Since 
December of 2012 more than 4,500 Palestinian prisoners who serve time 
for terrorist related charges receive a monthly salary. This means 
members of Hamas and Fatah are able to subsidize their professional 
activities.
  In addition to the monthly salaries the Palestinian Authority covers 
prisoner's legal fees, Israeli fines, and post-prison pensions.
  A Government Accountability Office report titled, ``Measures to 
Prevent Inadvertent Payments to Terrorists under Palestinian Aid 
Programs Have Been Strengthened, but Some Weaknesses Remain,'' found 
problems with U.S. paperwork vetting financial assistance to Palestine.
  GAO found U.S. sub-awards were not properly following rules requiring 
they follow U.S. antiterrorism statutes before issuing aid.
  One such example cited was when a sub-awardee, the United Nations, 
was found to not properly check a list of personnel against known 
terrorist organizations.
  The United Nations is supposed to screen all staff, contractors, and 
beneficiaries to ensure they have no known terrorist affiliation. It 
was noted that the U.N. screened all related people against a U.N. 
Security Council list of potential terrorist, the list did not include 
members of Hamas and Hezbollah, which the U.S. designated as foreign 
terrorist organizations. These and other missteps in choosing the 
appropriate venues by which to send financial aid to Palestine is why 
Congress should be concerned.
  GAO, since the issuing of the report, has stated all recommendations 
have been implemented but the Palestinian Authority has not stopped 
subsidizing prisoner's cost of living.
  In accordance with Congressman's Yoho's resolution Congress should 
not allow foreign aid dollars to an entity that feels it is okay to 
provide welfare for terrorist.
  During this latest iteration of Israel-Palestinian peace 
negotiations, Israel has already offered up three rounds of prisoners 
to the Palestinian Authority. All Israel gets in return is an extended 
stay of Palestine at the negotiation table, nothing concrete.
  Even with three rounds of prisoner releases, the Palestinian 
Authority begs for the worst of the worst to be sent home. Two senior 
prisoners Palestine is requesting to be released are Marwan Barghouti 
and Ahmed Saadat.
  Marwan Barghouti, a senior official in the U.S. terrorist designated 
Fatah party is serving five life sentences for murdering Israeli 
citizens.
  Ahmed Saadat, head another terrorist affiliated organization is 
serving a life sentence for the murder of an Israeli cabinet minister.
  If these two prisoners are released they will enter the rolls of 
preceding radicals who receive a monthly pension because of their 
profession, killing innocent Israelis.
  I beg this body to pay close attention to this issue and bring into 
debate the distribution of international aid to governing bodies who 
reward the malignant in their society.

                          ____________________