Stuart Force, father of terrorist victim, discusses halting ‘Pay To Slay’

The Taylor Force Act was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. The bill was named in honor of Taylor Force. Taylor, 29, a former U.S. Army officer was killed on March 8, 2016, in an attack perpetrated by a Palestinian terrorist. The stabbing attack in Tel Aviv left 10 others injured. The legislation declares that “The Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists, is an incentive to commit acts of terror”. Because the killer died by committing an act of terrorism (murdering), his relatives are paid a monthly “Pay To Slay” pension. Stuart Force (Taylor’s father) will discuss “The Taylor Force Act: Halting Pay To Slay” during a presentation hosted by The Gross Family Center for the Study of Antisemitism and the Holocaust. The program will take place on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 11 a.m. at Florida Atlantic University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Friedberg Auditorium, 777 Glades Road in Boca Raton. Visit grossfamilycenter.org for more information.

Stuart and his wife, Robbi, were instrumental in passing vital legislation aimed at ending the Palestinian Authority’s policy of financially rewarding Palestinian terrorists. Ahead of the program, Stuart shared details regarding the Taylor Force Act.

“Two months after we lost Taylor in the terrorist stabbing attack on the boardwalk in Jaffa, Israel on March 8, 2016, our daughter Kristen received an email from the office of Sander Gerber.  The email asked if it would be okay to send an email to her from Sander regarding the attack.  As Kristen was in the process of packing for a move to London for a previously accepted position in an art gallery, she forwarded the email to us.  I responded that we would like to hear from Mr. Gerber. I had looked him up online and learned that he was a respected member of the New York financial community and was very active in Jewish affairs in the U.S. and Israel. He then sent an email expressing his deepest condolences and inquiring if we would like to know more about the issues surrounding the attack. I called his cell phone, thanked him for reaching out to us and said we would like to know more.  He said he had disturbing information he would like to share with us and that we might find it tough to view. I said to please send it. There were two attachments.  The first was a link to a YouTube video showing people throughout Palestine celebrating the death of our son and the proclamation of his murderer as a hero of the Palestinian youth. Disgusting! The second attachment was a PDF file showing the Palestinian Authority policy of Pay for Slay whereby Palestinians that injured or killed innocent Israelis or others visiting Israel were rewarded for their actions. The commission of their attacks amounted to thousands of dollars per terrorist. The policy overall amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars. What was equally disturbing was the revelation that the United States sent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars annually to the PA for “humanitarian” purposes that essentially funded the Pay for Slay program. I called Sander after reading the email to express my horror.  He told me that he had shared this information with Senator Lindsey Graham, a friend of his.  The Senator called us and said, since we  were his constituents at the time, he felt it was important that we be a part of his efforts to address the sending of money to the PA which is being diverted to reward terror. We told him that Robbi and I would do anything to support his efforts.”

“The next thing we knew, we were in D.C. at a press conference in late September to introduce the Taylor Force Act.  Senator Graham and several other senators spoke and I said a few words about Taylor and why the Act was so important to us. The Act mandated withholding of financial aid sent from the U.S. to the PA until they stopped rewarding terrorists, removed the policy from their written laws and denounced terror.  There were carve outs to fund a hospital in East Jerusalem, support a waste treatment installation and  $500,000 for vaccinations for the Palestinian children. As the 2016 U.S. election activities shifted into high gear, the TFA effort was put on hold, resuming after President Trump’s inauguration. A second press conference was held with Congressman Doug Lamborn and several Representatives introducing a parallel legislation in the House. We became totally immersed in the campaign to gather support for passage of the Act. When meeting with legislators, Sander Gerber, the catalyst behind the TFA, was with us along with Senator Graham and Congressman Lamborn, to explain the Pay for Slay policy.  Our role was to make the Act personal and to share our son’s special life.  When speaking to large groups, I often made the comparison to the Girl Scout cookie drives. When a Girl Scout showed up at your front door to sell cookies, whether you were on a diet or still had cookies in your freezer from the  year before, you bought the cookies. When Robbi and I met face to face, shared Taylor’s story and asked for their support for the Act, we got their support. On March 23, 2018, as the direct result of bipartisan support of individuals, politicians and organizations, the Taylor Force Act became the law of the land. It was the right thing to do,” Stuart continued.

“The primary goal of the Taylor Force Act is, in my view, to stop the flow of money that ends up supporting terror and terrorists. Should the Palestinian Authority end the Pay for Slay policy, remove it from their written laws, and renounce terrorism, then perhaps resumption of aid can be considered. This should only be considered If the PA can actually demonstrate that Pay for Slay has ended and the welfare of the Palestinian people has become their primary consideration. More countries have become aware of how their funding of the Palestinian Authority and NGOs controlled by the PA is utilized to incite and financially support terror. Quite a few countries have suspended their funding, but not all countries. It’s also becoming apparent how much of those funds end up in the bank accounts of the terror groups’ leadership. Those leaders have no desire to find peace in the region. It would severely disrupt the flow of money into their pockets. The TFA has become a part of most conversations of terror funding. Recent revelations concerning the support UNRWA gives to terrorist organizations like Hamas and the anti-Israel indoctrination of students they affect has prompted a review and increased efforts aimed at ending UNWRA’s funding. This is long overdue.”

Stuart expressed the relationship between his family and Israel.

“Even though I had attended high school in West Hartford, CT, and had many Jewish friends, I admit that I was not familiar with the Jewish religion and culture.  My wife grew up in West Texas and was even less familiar. From the moment we lost Taylor,  the Jewish community here and in Israel, the Israeli government and its representatives in the U.S., have been and continue to be an important part of our lives. We received hundreds of letters and cards from friends, strangers and yeshivas here and in Israel. This was totally unexpected and very much appreciated. We continue to have a strong bond with Israel and the Jewish people.  It began when Sander Gerber came into our lives.  We became immersed in Jewish life through Shabbat dinners with his family and friends, attending Jewish weddings and being exposed to the customs and history that go back thousands of years. We have come to deeply appreciate how important family is to the Jewish community and wish that importance were more widespread in the world at large. I was invited to Israel to watch the Knesset debate and vote on the Stern-Dichter legislation slashing funds to the Palestinian Authority, roughly mirroring the Taylor Force Act. The debate and voting was quite a raucous display of democracy. Not speaking Hebrew, I relied on others to narrate the proceedings.  I was surprised to see Arab-Israeli members of the Knesset. I learned that there are Arab-Israeli representation in all walks of life in Israel. It was a very emotional session. When the vote totals were announced and translated, tears came to my eyes. I was overcome knowing that the battle to stop Pay for Slay had secured a small victory with the legislation’s passage.”

Stuart shared his thoughts regarding the atrocities of Oct. 7.

“I can’t find words that can adequately convey simultaneously the  anger and the sadness Robbi and I felt on October 7th. Reliving the phone call we received informing us of Taylor’s death, we knew that those phone calls were being made to the parents and families of the 1,200 victims. The senseless deaths of so many innocent victims of terror is incomprehensible. Thank you for the opportunity to share Taylor and the Taylor Force Act. Robbi and I have a strong bond with the Jewish people that began with the loss of Taylor and has strengthened as we have benefitted from their support and friendship.”

“In conclusion I must mention that the Biden Administration has resumed payments that benefit the PA, in violation of the TFA. Current legal action in the U.S. is aimed at ending this violation.”