Judge Grants Review of Biden Admin’s Palestine Funding

A federal judge granted a review Tuesday into the Biden administration’s decision to give hundreds of millions to Palestinian groups – potentially violating anti-terrorism laws.

Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the United States District Court in Northern Texas sided with Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, and the America First Legal Foundation in the ruling.

It orders that the administration hand over documents surrounding the risk of Economic Support Funds being used to fund terrorist operations in Gaza and the West Bank rather than for humanitarian purposes.

Jackson and AFL first sued last year after President Joe Biden announced he would start funding the Palestinian National Authority again, a reversal from former President Donald Trump’s administrative policy.

Under Trump, the payments had stopped pursuant to the Taylor Force Act of 2018, which prevents U.S. funds from going to Palestine as long as it continued to support imprisoned terrorists and their families.

The lawsuit targets around $500 million Biden greenlit following his ascendancy to the presidency, roughly half of U.S. aid to Palestine.

Another $700 million goes to a United Nations agency in the region that Trump also pulled out of but Biden has restored. It is not the focus of the lawsuit.

Kacsmaryk’s approval of the examination follows devastating terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah last week, two groups The Wall Street Journal reported were funded and operated by Iran.

Israeli officials estimate that over 1,200 individuals have been killed in their territory since the conflict erupted Saturday. Another 3,400 are wounded, and over 200 have been taken hostage.

Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities believe more than 1,100 have been killed in their territories. Around 5,400 are wounded, and the United Nations reported over 263,000 displaced.

The ruling also comes several months after The Washington Free Beacon reported that the Biden administration approved funding to Palestine despite internal assessments it could empower Hamas.